Wingate, N.C.----The 22nd-ranked Wingate University Bulldogs pitched a shutout in the opening 32 minutes of their 15-3 victory over the University of Mount Olive in Friday's Division II women's lacrosse action at Graham Gill Field on Senior Day. The Bulldogs match their most victories in a single season, improving to 13-2 overall, while the Trojans' eight-game winning streak is snapped, dropping to 10-4 on the season. Wingate celebrated Senior Day Friday by winning its seventh straight game. The 'Dogs have now gone 16-1 at home over the last two seasons.

KEY STATS

- Wingate out-shot Mount Olive 29-22
- The 'Dogs held a 23-14 advantage in shots on goal
- Mount Olive committed 18 of 35 turnovers in the contest
- The Bulldogs were 15-of-20 on clear attempts, holding the Trojans to 15-for-23
- Wingate won the ground ball battle 19-17
- UMO won 10 of 19 draw controls
- The 'Dogs led for the final 58 minutes
- The three goals are a season low for UMO, four less than the previous low (Florida Southern)

KEY BULLDOGS

- Megan Biase piled up 11 saves and allowed just three goals in 60 minutes of work
- Senior Bella Pellet scored a team-high four goals and added an assist
- Senior Becca Ruiz added three goals, two assists, three ground balls and two caused turnovers
- Leah Knowles recorded four goals on five shots, adding game-highs with five ground balls, three CTs and four draw controls
- Senior Paige Kamer dished out three assists
- Claire Fuchs and Kaleigh Wilgeroth chipped in two goals apiece
- Blake Clouser handed out an assists on the afternoon
- Senior Camryn Gallagher added two ground balls, while Julia Pizza caused two turnovers

FIRST PERIOD

- Knowles scored from the free position in the opening two minutes to give the 'Dogs the early lead
- Ruiz followed up with a goal from the free position with under nine to go in the period
- Pellet and Knowles fired shots into the back of the net 10 seconds apart, doubling the Wingate advantage
- Ruiz scored with under four minutes to go as the 'Dogs led 5-0
- Knowles scored her third goal of the first 13 minutes with a goal off a Kamer assist, as WU led 6-0 after 15 minutes
- Wingate has now outscored opponents 93-34 in the opening quarter this season

SECOND PERIOD

- Pellet scored from the free position two and a half minutes into the second period to extend the lead
- Ruiz scored for the third time in the game at the 4:22 mark
- Pellet and Knowles added scores in the final 94 seconds, triggering the running clock before halftime

THIRD PERIOD

- The Trojans got on the board at the 12:46 mark of the third period
- Wilgeroth returned the lead to 10 just 40 seconds later
- Fuchs and Pellet added unanswered scores to take a 13-1 lead with six minutes left in the third
- Meaghan Michaud scored for UMO to cut the deficit to 11
- Fuchs poured in her second goal of the period in the final seconds, as Wingate took a 14-2 lead with 15 minutes to go

FOURTH PERIOD

- Neither team scored in the first nine minutes of the fourth period
- Wilgeroth found the back of the net at the 5:42 mark to cap Wingate's scoring for the day
- Ali Davis added a score with 17 seconds to go for UMO

UP NEXT

- The Bulldogs travel to Tusculum on Saturday, April 23 to wrap up their regular season schedule
- Wingate has locked up a first-round bye into the semifinals of the South Atlantic Conference Tournament