Matthews, N.C.----The top-seeded and 16th-ranked Wingate University Bulldogs scored five straight goals to start the fourth quarter Sunday afternoon, prevailing 11-9 over second-seeded Lenoir-Rhyne University in the championship game of the South Atlantic Conference women's lacrosse tournament. The 'Dogs improve to 16-3 overall, capturing the second tourney title in program history and clinching a bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Bears fall to 11-7 on the season.
KEY STATS
- Wingate out-shot Lenoir-Rhyne 31-25
- The 'Dogs held a 21-15 advantage in shots on goal
- The Bulldogs won 14 of the 21 draw controls
- LR was 15-for-17 on clears; Wingate went 11-for-14
- The Bears held an 18-17 edge in ground balls
- The Bulldogs had 18 turnovers compared to Lenoir-Rhyne's 15
KEY BULLDOGS
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Deirdre Jones had three goals, an assist, a caused turnover and two ground balls
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Bree Solero and
Stacy Glover added three goals apiece
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Julia Garvin added a goal, an assist, a CT and a ground ball
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Amelia Benner handed out a pair of assists
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Jamie Weber added a goal and a draw control
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Madison Slayton notched an assist and a draw control
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Evelynn Buckmaster also handed out an assist
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Sophie Pavlick had seven draw controls
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Kathryn McCabe added three draw controls, two CTs and three ground balls
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Haley McCourt notched a pair of CTs
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Saskia Aunger collected seven saves
- Jones was named the tournament MVP
- Other All-Tournament members were Solero, Churns, McCabe, Pavlick and Slayton
FIRST QUARTER
- Glover started the scoring at the 7:51 mark
- Kirra Olson tied it 24 seconds later
- Garvin scored off a Benner assist with 6:20 to go
- Annaleise Meyer tied it with a goal two minutes later
- Glover scored off a Benner assist with 2:52 remaining
- Glover struck again off a Slayton assist with 36 seconds left to put the 'Dogs on top 4-2
SECOND QUARTER
- Solero scored five minutes in off a Buckmaster assist to stretch the lead to three
- Hannah Thomas cut it to two with a goal at the 3:23 mark
- Jones scored 28 seconds later off Garvin's assist to make it 6-3
- LR scored twice in the last two minutes, with a Jillian Daly goal with 10 seconds left making it 6-5
THIRD QUARTER
- Olson's goal four minutes in tied it
- Meyer's goal at the 9:37 mark gave the Bears a 7-6 advantage
FOURTH QUARTER
- Jones scored 39 seconds into the final frame to tie it
- She scored again a minute later to put the 'Dogs back on top
- Jones then assisted on Solero's goal with 11:35 to go to make it 9-7
- Solero struck again off Garvin's assist to push the lead to three with 9:23 remaining
- Weber scored at the 4:53 mark, capping the 5-0 run to put the 'Dogs on top 11-7
- Thomas and Olson scored in the final two minutes to cut the final margin to two
UP NEXT
- Wingate will play in the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year
- It will be the third appearance in program history
- The 'Dogs are the five seed in the Atlantic Region
- Wingate will face Kutztown in the opener at Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania
- That contest will take place Thursday, May 7 at 1 p.m.
- The winner will take on Slippery Rock Saturday, May 9 at 1 p.m.
