Wingate, N.C.----The 10th-ranked Wingate University Bulldogs outscored Tusculum University 12-1 in the first half, cruising to a 20-3 win Saturday afternoon in South Atlantic Conference men's lacrosse action. The Bulldogs improve to 11-3 overall and 8-2 in the SAC, while the Pioneers end their season at 9-7 overall and 3-7 in league play.

KEY STATS

- Wingate out-shot Tusculum 65-23
- The Bulldogs held a 39-13 advantage in shots on goal
- TU committed 25 of 38 turnovers in the game
- The 'Dogs were 25-of-27 on clear attempts, while limiting Tusculum to 16-of-25 on clears
- WU recorded 46 of 71 ground balls on the afternoon
- The Bulldogs won 14 of 27 face-offs

KEY BULLDOGS

- Willie Grieco led the charge offensively with two goals, six assists and five ground balls
- Bobby Padden had a team-high four goals and added an assist
- Danny Riley chipped in three goals and two assists
- Collin Fleming and John Natoli added two goals apiece
- Joe Karnich and Zach Samson each tallied a goal and an assist
- Adam Vodovnik, Mike DiLegge, Daman Lingasin, Aidan McMahon and Braylon Baker all scored on the afternoon as well
- James Kotcamp was 10-for-18 on face-offs with a team-high six ground balls
- DiLegge and Mark Taccard led with two caused turnovers apiece
- KC Carlson and John Caponi made a combined 10 saves in 56 minutes of action

FIRST PERIOD

- Natoli got the 'Dogs on the board in the opening minute of the game
- Fleming and Lingasin each scored less than five minutes later as Wingate extended its early lead
- Padden scored and later assisted on a Riley goal to put the Bulldogs up 5-0 after the first period

SECOND PERIOD

- Baker and Samson added to Wingate's lead within the first five minutes of the second period
- Tusculum got on the board at the 9:27 mark
- Karnich answered with a score 15 seconds later as the Bulldogs regained their seven-score advantage
- Grieco scored on his own before finding Padden for a man-up goal to take a 10-1 lead with four and a half minutes to go in the half
- Vodovnik scored at the 1:43 mark to put Wingate up 10 goals in the first half
- DiLegge scored his first goal of the season with six seconds to go, capping the Bulldogs' big first half

THIRD PERIOD

- Padden scored off Grieco assists twice in the span of 35 seconds early in the second half, pushing the 'Dogs up 13

- Nate Raymond scored for the Pioneers at the halfway point of the period
- Grieco answered with another score a little more than a minute later
- The Pioneers capitalized on a man-up opportunity to cut the lead to 15-3
- Wingate got the last word in the period, adding scores from Natoli and Fleming before the end of the third

FOURTH PERIOD

- Riley scored 17 seconds into the final frame, putting Wingate up 18-3
- McMahon scored from Marc Cottage Jr. at the 8:05 mark
- Riley put the 'Dogs above the 20-goal mark for the third time this season with a man-up goal with 1:41 left to go

UP NEXT

- The Bulldogs claimed the third seed in the SAC Tournament
- Wingate will host sixth-seeded Catawba at Graham Gill Field on Tuesday at 4 p.m.