VIDEO | Gary Hamill Interview

Wingate, N.C.----The back-to-back regular season SAC champion Bulldogs open the 2024 season this weekend, traveling to Florida for a pair of matches. The Bulldogs are at Rollins Friday at 7:30 p.m., then take on #3 Florida Tech Sunday at 5 p.m. in Winter Park. The Bulldogs went 12-5-2 overall last season, with a 9-1-1 record in league play to capture their second straight regular season SAC title.

The Bulldogs are no strangers to success, piling up 16 league championships all-time, the most in SAC history. The 'Dogs have 10 regular season titles to go along with six regular season championships. Wingate has collected 10 SAC titles over the last 10 seasons, along with the 2016 national championship, the first NCAA Division II team national title in Wingate or SAC history.

"The preseason has gone very well considering the large number of new players coming in," Wingate Hall of Fame head coach Gary Hamill says. "The team has come together really well and the fitness has been good. We had a good preseason game with Belmont Abbey and were happy with the new players' involvement. Having several experienced players has helped with the overall integration."

With all of the success over the past decade, high expectations are nothing new for the Bulldogs, picked second in the preseason SAC poll and ranked 20th in the preseason United Soccer Coaches top 25 poll. "Expectations are always high with our program," Hamill says. "We built a strong competitive team for not just the SAC but also the region. No matter what year it is, our program will always have high expectations to not just win games, but championships, and this year is no different."

FORWARDS

The forward position will be led by 2023 SAC Freshman of the Year Pablo Pozos, an All-SAC and All-Region honoree. He led the Bulldogs with nine goals and six assists last season, piling up 24 points on the year. He will be joined by Fabio Rodrigues, who notched an assist while appearing in eight games last season, battling through injuries. The 'Dogs also add transfer Yannick Hilbert to the attack.

"The forward position we have strengthened this year following some injuries last year," Hamill says. "We have added experience with Yannick transferring in, and having Fabio healthy this year is a big bonus for us. Pablo returns and we hope he has another great year ahead."

MIDFIELD

The midfield will be led by 2023 SAC Defensive Player of the Year Pedro Santos, an All-SAC, All-Region and consensus All-American last season. The 'Dogs also have Kimo Lemke returning from an injury, along with newcomers Leroy Best and Lucas Jansen. Santos started all 19 games last year, collecting two goals and three assists while also playing a key role in one of the league's top defenses. Both of his goals were game-winning goals.

"The midfield has been strengthened the most this year with several new players who will make immediate impacts," Hamill says. "Pedro obviously has the experience and will be joined by Kimo, who is returning after a year-long injury. We have added new players like Leroy and Lucas who will add strength to the outside positions."

DEFENSE

The defense will have a different look this year after losing All-SAC and All-Region honorees Owen Marshall and Devin Scully. All-SAC honoree Dennis Hamzic will lead the way, along with a mixture of new players. Hamzic started 11 of the 12 games he appeared in last season, helping the Bulldogs rank among the league leaders in goals-against average last year.

"Defensively is where we lost most from last year with the graduation of Owen and Devin," Hamill says. "Dennis is back from injury and we brought in a couple of transfer players to add experience to the back line."

GOALKEEPER

Mortiz Conrad looks to take over the goalkeeper position for the Bulldogs. The freshman from Germany will secure the starting spot heading into the regular season. "The goalkeeper position will be filed by Mortiz Conrad," Hamill says. "He has come in and claimed the number one spot following a great preseason."

SCHEDULE

The Bulldogs open the season with a  pair of tough matches in Florida against Rollins and a top-five Florida Tech team. Wingate then travels to Francis Marion next Wednesday, before playing the home opener Saturday, Sept. 14 against Tusculum, which is also the SAC opener. The 'Dogs travel to preseason SAC favorites Limestone the following Saturday, Sept. 21.