Wingate, N.C.----Wingate University freshman attack Sean Clark piled up five goals and two assists Saturday afternoon, while grad student goalie Thomas Sullivan collected 17 saves to lead the 10th-ranked Wingate University Bulldogs to a 13-6 victory over #6 Mercyhurst in an NCAA Division II men's lacrosse top-10 showdown at Irwin Belk Stadium Saturday. Wingate moves to 1-1 on the year, while the Lakers fall to 0-1 on the season. It was the first gave for Mercyhurst since playing in the 2023 national championship game.

KEY STATS

- Wingate out-shot Mercyhurst 48-45
- The 'Dogs held a 27-23 advantage in shots on goal
- The Lakers had 17 of the 30 turnovers; Wingate registered 12 caused turnovers
- Each team won 11 face-offs
- The 'Dogs were three-for-six on man-up chances; Mercyhurst went one-for-four
- The Lakers were 18-for-21 on clears; Wingate went 20-for-24

KEY BULLDOGS

- Clark led the way with five goals and two assists
- Willie Grieco handed out six assists, adding two ground balls and a CT
- Danny Riley had three goals, with Kyle Spence notching three assists
- Matt Papach registered two goals, a CT and four ground balls
- Zach Samson also netted a pair of goals on the day
- Peyton Farley added a goal, CT and ground ball
- Nick Arnold led the 'Dogs with three CTs, adding two ground balls
- Joe Karnich collected a pair of CTs and four ground balls
- Dylan Rupprecht won seven-of-13 face-offs, collecting four ground balls
- Sullivan piled up 17 saves on the day

FIRST PERIOD

- Riley scored off a Grieco assist 23 seconds in
- Clark scored off a Spence assist a minute later
- Jaxon Mohawk got the Lakers on the board at the 9:21 mark
- Clark answered with a goal off a Spence assist to make it 3-1
- Papach struck at the 6:51 mark off Grieco's assist to push the lead to three
- Ryan Mahoney cut the lead to two a minute later
- Riley answered just 30 seconds later with his second goal of the frame to make it 5-2
- Casey Scott's goal with 4:13 to go pulled Mercyhurst back within two
- Farley answered with a goal at the 2:42 mark to make it 6-3

SECOND PERIOD

- Wingate scored the first three goals of the frame to push the lead to six
- Clark set up Riley for the first goal, then set up Papach at the 7:24 mark to make it 8-3
- Clark capped the flurry with a goal off Greico's assist with 6:19 remaining
- Braden McCard scored with eight seconds left to make it 9-4 at halftime

THIRD PERIOD

- The Bulldogs scored the only two goals of the third frame
- Clark scored off Grieco's assist three minutes in
- Samson scored off a Grieco assist with 2:02 remaining to make it 11-4

FOURTH PERIOD

- Clark scored off a Spence assist in the opening minute to give the 'Dogs an eight-goal lead
- Colin Schmatz scored Mercyhurst's first goal of the half 9:17 remaining
- Samson answered with a goal off a Grieco assist to make it 13-5 with 7:51 to go

UP NEXT

- Wingate is back in action Saturday, Feb. 24, hosting Maryville at 11 a.m.