Greeneville, Tenn.----The ninth-ranked Wingate University Bulldogs scored 12 goals in the opening period and 19 goals in the first half Saturday afternoon, cruising to a 25-8 victory at Tusculum University in South Atlantic Conference men's lacrosse action. The Bulldogs improve to 4-1 overall and 2-0 in the SAC, while the Pioneers fall to 4-2 overall and 0-2 in league play.

KEY STATS

- Wingate out-shot Tusculum 55-31 on the day, with a 34-18 edge in shots on goal
- The 'Dogs had a 35-11 advantage in shots in the opening half, with a 25-8 edge in shots on goal
- The Bulldogs won 23 of the 36 face-offs, holding a 43-20 advantage in ground balls
- Wingate was 17-for-17 on clear attempts; Tusculum went 11-for-20
- The Pioneers had 19 turnovers compared to 12 from the 'Dogs
- The Bulldogs were three-for-five on man-up changes; TU went one-for-five
- Wingate had 15 different players notch at least one point on the day

KEY BULLDOGS

- Sean Clark had five goals and an assist in just six shots
- Kyle Spence had two goals and four assists, adding a caused turnover and ground ball
- Brayden Cifreo contributed two goals and two assists
- Joey Moran and Liam Elliott scored three goals apiece
- Vinny Butrico and Jarret Blitzer each added a pair of goals on the day
- Jaxon Grant registered a goal and an assist, with James Solazzo collecting two assists
- Dean Cox, Reno Vorderlandwehr, Matt Benzing, Braden Nerone and Cole Eggleton added a goal apiece
- Owen McKenzie handed out an assist
- Mason Tolar won eight-of-12 face-offs, collecting four ground balls
- Logan Spaeth won six-of-eight face-offs, with Dylan Rupprecht adding five wins and four ground balls
- Necco Cottage also won four face-offs and picked up four ground balls
- Vorderlandwehr had two CTs and three ground balls on the day
- Nolan Lowe added two CTs and a pair of ground balls
- Quad Williams had three saves in 20 minutes of action
- Matt Jannotte piled up five saves in 17 minutes, allowing just one goal
- Jack Altman added two saves in the final 22 minutes

FIRST PERIOD

- Spence started the scoring three minutes in, then assisted on Clark's goal at the 10:50 mark
- Grant, Blitzer and Moran scored in a two-minute spurt to make it 5-0
- Benzing's goal off a Grant assist pushed the lead to six at the 6:26 mark
- Spence found Clark for another goal two minutes later
- Butrico scored with 3:27 to go, making it 8-1
- A Spence goal 39 seconds later pushed the lead to eight
- Clark got the 'Dogs in double figures with 56 seconds left
- He scored six seconds later off a Spence assist
- Clark scored off another Spence assist with 16 seconds left, making it 12-1

SECOND PERIOD

- Moran's goal in the opening minute started the scoring in the second
- Butrico scored off a Clark assist 50 seconds later to make it 14-2
- Moran and Blitzer scored in a 50-seconds stretch, pushing the lead to 14
- A Cox goal at the 8:48 mark put the 'Dogs on top 17-2
- Cifreo scored with five minutes left
- Eggleton scored off McKenzie's assist a minute later to make it 19-2

THIRD PERIOD

- Vorderlandwehr started the scoring five minutes into the second half
- Nerone made it 21-2 with eight minutes left
- Elliot's goal off a Cifreo assist a minute later made it 22-3
- Tusculum scored the final three goals of the frame to make it 22-6

FOURTH PERIOD

- Elliott scored off a Cifreo assist at the 12:32 mark to start the scoring in the final frame
- Cifreo scored off a Solazzo assist less than two minutes later to make it 24-6
- Elliott scored Wingate's final goal of the day off a Solazzo assist at the 7:55 mark

UP NEXT

- Wingate is back in action Saturday, March 14, taking on Lenoir-Rhyne at 4 p.m. in the Crown Classic in Charlotte