Mars Hill, N.C.----With five goals on Saturday afternoon, Wingate University All-American Bobby Padden became the program's all-time leading goal scorer, surpassing Austin Murphy's mark of 125 goals. Padden led the sixth-ranked Bulldogs to a 21-8 win at Mars Hill University in South Atlantic Conference men's lacrosse action. Wingate improves to 7-2 and 4-1 in the SAC; the Lions drop to 4-6 overall and 0-5 in league play.
 
KEY STATS
 
- Wingate out-shot Mars Hill 49-22
- The Bulldogs held a 32-13 advantage in shots on goal
- The Lions committed 22 turnovers; WU had 16
- Wingate was 25-of-26 on clear attempts, while MHU was 16-for-21
- The 'Dogs recorded 49 ground balls to the Lions' 35
- WU won 20 of 33 face-offs
 
KEY BULLDOGS
 
- Padden scored a game-high five goals and added an assist
- He now has 130 goals in his Wingate career
- Danny Riley added four goals and an assist
- Willie Grieco chipped in a goal and a game-high three assists
- Marc Cottage Jr. and Braylon Baker each had two goal and an assist
- Adam Vodovnik contributed a goal, two assists and four ground balls
- James Kotcamp and Donovan Jones combined to go 20-for-33 on face-offs, collecting 12 ground balls and each scoring a goal
- Collin Fleming, Zachary Pizzimenti, Ben Robertson and Zach Samson also tallied scores for Wingate
- Matthew James recorded three ground balls and three caused turnovers
- KC Carlson earned the win, allowing just two goals in 23 minutes of action
 
FIRST PERIOD
 
- Riley and Padden each scored in the opening minute, as Padden's score broke a tie atop the program's all-time goal record book
- Padden, Vodovnik and Riley added three goals over the next five minutes as Wingate took a commanding lead
- Riley, Samson, Baker and Fleming goals extended the Bulldog lead
- Padden scored for the third time with 17 seconds remaining, putting WU on top 10-0
 
SECOND PERIOD
 
- John Hommel got Mars Hill on the board 90 seconds into the second period
- Grieco and Riley answered with goals to give the 'Dogs a 12-1 advantage
- After a Lions' score, Cottage responded with back-to-back goals within 20 seconds
- Padden and Baker's goals capped a 4-0 run
- MHU's Trevor Kennedy scored with two seconds to go, as WU took a 16-3 lead after 30 minutes
 
THIRD PERIOD
 
- Kotcamp took the opening face-off of the second half and scored just eight seconds into the third frame
- Padden's fifth goal in the first 33 minutes gave Wingate its largest lead of the game at 18-3
- After a Kennedy score, Jones followed up Kotcamp's lead to the second half, taking the face-off and scoring himself at the 3:44 mark
- MHU scored before the end of the period to make it 19-5
 
FOURTH PERIOD
 
- The Lions scored the first two goals of the final 15 minutes, cutting the deficit to as low as 19-7
- Pizzimenti scored off an assist from Tanner Hegarty, as the 'Dogs reached the 20-goal mark for the second time this season
- MHU scored one final team before Robertson's goal capped the scoring action
 
UP NEXT
 
- Wingate heads home, hosting two matchups at Graham Gill Field next week
- The 'Dogs host Catawba on Wednesday at 4 p.m.
- The Bulldogs host LMU Saturday April 2 at 1 p.m. on Senior Day