Wingate, N.C.----The fifth-ranked Wingate University Bulldogs built a 15-3 lead Saturday afternoon, taking down Florida Southern 17-11 in NCAA Division II men's lacrosse action at Irwin Belk Stadium and Founders Field. Wingate starts the year 1-0, while the Moccasins fall to 0-2.

KEY STATS

- Wingate out-shot Florida Southern 50-44
- The 'Dogs held a 29-25 advantage in shots on goal
- The Mocs won 21 of 31 face-offs; Wingate had a 39-37 edge in ground balls
- FSC turned it over 15 times; the Bulldogs had just eight turnovers
- The 'Dogs went 23-for-27 on clears; the Mocs were nine-for-13
- Wingate went five-for-five on extra-man opportunities; Florida Southern was zero-for-five

KEY BULLDOGS

- Kyle Spence piled up four goals and five assists, adding a caused turnover and four ground balls
- Sean Clark had six goals and two assists, needing just seven shots on the day
- Vinny Butrico registered three goals and five assists for the 'Dogs
- Joey Moran contributed two goals, an assist, a CT and two ground balls
- Jarret Blitzer and Rylan Weisbrod each added a goal
- Matt Papach and Matt Benzing each notched an assist
- Graham Tillett collected four caused turnovers and two ground balls
- Sam Deardorff had a CT and five ground balls
- Noah Whitehouse added three ground balls and a CT
- Necco Cottage won seven face-offs and picked up six ground balls
- Quad Williams piled up 14 saves

FIRST PERIOD

- Wingate outscored Florida Southern 6-1 in the opening frame
- Spence started it with a goal 62 seconds in
- Blitzer's goal off a Butrico assist made it 2-1
- Butrico made it 3-1, scoring off a Benzing assist at the 8:10 mark
- Clark scored off a Spence assist to push the lead to three
- Spence scored off Butrico's assist a minute later
- Clark's goal off a Spence assist put the 'Dogs on top 6-1

SECOND PERIOD

- Moran started the scoring at the 9:29 mark in the second
- Maddux Walton's goal pulled FSC within four at the 7:34 mark
- Moran scored off a Spence assist to make it 8-3 with four minutes left
- Weisbrod's first goal came off a Clark assist with 1:16 remaining
- Clark scored off another Spence assist with 12 seconds left, making it 10-3

THIRD PERIOD

- Butrico scored just over a minute into the second half off a Spence assist
- Spence scored off a Clark assist 32 seconds later, pushing the lead to nine
- Butrico scored off a Papach assist a minute later, putting the 'Dogs on top 13-3
- Clark scored off Moran's assist at the midway point
- Clark's fifth goal of the day came off a Butrico assist, making it 15-3

FOURTH PERIOD

- Caiden Wiech capped a 3-0 FSC run to make it 15-6 at the 12:50 mark
- Spence's goal off a Butrico assist put the lead back in double figures
- Clark struck again off another Butrico assist at the 9:36 mark, making it 17-6
- The Mocs scored the final five goals of the day, capped by an Angus Walko goal with 26 seconds left

UP NEXT

- Wingate is back in action next Saturday, traveling to Florida Tech for a noon start