Anderson, S.C.----The Anderson University Trojans protected their home field Saturday afternoon with a 14-12 victory over visiting third-ranked Wingate University in South Atlantic Conference men's lacrosse action. The Trojans improve to 7-3 overall and 3-1 in the SAC, while the Bulldogs drop to 6-2 overall and 3-1 in league play.
 
KEY STATS
 
- Wingate out-shot Anderson 49-41
- The Trojans held a 31-30 advantage in shots on goal
- The Bulldogs only committed seven turnovers; AU had 15 turnovers
- Anderson won 22 of 29 face-offs
- WU held a slight 31-30 advantage in ground balls
- The 'Dogs were 20-for-21 on clear attempts, while the Trojans were 24-of-26
- Both teams failed to capitalize on a combined three man-up opportunities
 
KEY BULLDOGS
 
- Bobby Padden scored team-high four goals and added an assist
- Willie Grieco tallied a goal and two assists
- Adam Vodovnik had a pair of goals and collected a team-high five ground balls
- Danny Riley also registered two goals for Wingate
- Daman Lingasin, Aidan McMahon and Braylon Baker added scores on the afternoon
- Nick Arnold and Peyton Farley each recorded a ground ball and two caused turnovers
- John Caponi made 10 saves in just over 40 minutes of action
 
FIRST PERIOD
 
- Wingate jumped on top of the Trojans early, as Riley, Vodovnik and Lingasin each scored in the opening 10 minutes of play
- Anderson responded with three unanswered scores in just over a three-minute span, tying the game at three
 
SECOND PERIOD
 
- Grieco scored two minutes into the period to regain the lead for WU
- The Trojans scored five unanswered goals over the next eight minutes, taking an 8-4 lead at the 5:01 mark
- The final score capped an 8-1 run for Anderson through the first and second periods
- Padden found Vodovnik for a late-half score, cutting the deficit to 8-5 before halftime
 
THIRD PERIOD
 
- Anderson scored the opening two goals of the third period, building the lead to 10-5
- Padden answered with back-to-back scores to nearly cut the lead in half
- AU's Triston Schaffer slowed the Wingate momentum with a score at the 5:45 mark
- McMahon scored off a Grieco assist to bring the visitors back within three scores
- The Trojans responded with a goal of their own less than a minute later, to which Baker answered right back to make the score 12-9
- AU scored with 1:37 left on the clock for their fifth goal of the period, taking a 13-9 advantage into the final 15 minutes
 
FOURTH PERIOD
 
- Anderson once again extended its lead to five scores early in the fourth period with a score
- Padden and Riley found the back of the net, cutting the Anderson lead to three scores with more than five minutes remaining
- Padden's fourth goal of the game with 2:56 left brought the 'Dogs within two scores for the first time since early in the second period, but Wingate could not muster any more scores the rest of the way
 
UP NEXT
 
- The Bulldogs travel to Mars Hill to continue their SAC slate with a matchup with the Lions on Saturday at 1 p.m.
- The 'Dogs return to Graham Gill Field on Wednesday, March 30, hosting Catawba for a 4 p.m. start