Wingate, N.C.----The eighth-ranked Wingate University Bulldogs opened SAC Tournament play in style Saturday afternoon, cruising to an 18-1 victory over Coker University in the quarterfinals of the 2024 South Atlantic Conference men's lacrosse tournament at Irwin Belk Stadium. Wingate improves to 11-4 overall, advancing to the SAC Tournament semifinals Wednesday at Lenoir-Rhyne. The Cobras fall to 6-9 on the season.

KEY STATS

- Wingate out-shot Coker 60-20
- The Bulldogs held a 37-13 advantage in shots on goal
- The 'Dogs won 21 of the 22 face-offs, with a 59-27 advantage in ground balls
- Wingate was 23-for-23 on clears; Coker went 24-for-32
- The Cobras had 19 turnovers compared to Wingate's 15
- The Bulldogs scored on their lone man-up chance; the Cobras were zero-for-three

KEY BULLDOGS

- Jaxon Grant and Willie Grieco each had two goals and two assists
- Danny Riley and Aidan McMahon scored three goals apiece
- Sam Goss registered a goal and two assists
- Sean Clark, Zachary Pizzimenti, Luke Hickam and Kyle Spence each notched a goal and an assist
- Graham Tillett and Joey Moran each scored a goal; Matt Papach and Zach Samson added an assist apiece
- Brian McGarvey won all eight face-offs, notching seven ground balls and scoring his first goal
- Logan Spaeth won six-of-six face-offs, collecting six ground balls
- Dylan Rupprecht won seven-of-eight face-offs, picking up seven ground balls
- Peyton Farley had three caused turnovers and three ground balls
- Johnny Salamone added two CTs and four ground balls
- Thomas Sullivan notched eight saves in 40 minutes of action without allowing a goal
- Quad Williams added 15 minutes in goal, collecting four saves

FIRST PERIOD

- Riley scored off Grant's assist two minutes in to start the scoring
- McMahon scored two minutes later, while Grant's goal off a Grieco assist made it 3-0
- Clark scored midway through the frame off a Clark assist to extend the lead to four
- McMahon scored off a Grieco assist to put the 'Dogs on top 5-0

SECOND PERIOD

- Grant started the scoring four minutes into the second frame
- Spence scored off a Clark assist a minute later to make it 7-0
- Tillett found the back of the net at the 3:10 mark
- McGarvey won the ensuing face-off and scored six seconds later, giving Wingate a 9-0 lead

THIRD PERIOD

- Grieco scored 90 seconds in to the second half to put the 'Dogs in double figures
- He scored again two minutes later to push the lead to 11
- Moran scored at the 7:06 mark off a Spence assist
- Riley scored back-to-back goals off assists from Samson and Grant to make it 14-0
- McMahon scored off a Pizzimenti assist with six seconds left in the frame

FOURTH PERIOD

- Hickam scored in the opening minute off a Goss assist to put the 'Dogs on top 16-0
- Pizzimenti scored off a Goss assist a minute later
- Coker's lone goal came at the 9:43 mark from Justin Beighey
- Goss scored the final goal of the day with 5:47 remaining off a Hickam assist

UP NEXT

- Wingate is onto the SAC Tournament semifinals Wednesday
- The Bulldogs will travel to Hickory to take on second-ranked Lenoir-Rhyne
- The winner advances to Sunday's championship game in Matthews