GREENEVILLE, Tenn. — Wingate University received goals from nine different players in a 20-9 victory over Tusculum University in South Atlantic Conference women’s lacrosse Friday afternoon at Pioneer Field.
The 16th-ranked Bulldogs (6-2, 4-0 SAC) were led by four goals from Leah Knowles, along with three goals and five assists from Nelida Watson and three goals and three assists from Kaleigh Wilgeroth. Nicolette Dietrich also scored three goals for Wingate, which outshot Tusculum 34-18 in the match.
Lucy Brewer scored two goals and had two assists for the Pioneers (3-6, 1-3 SAC), with two goals and an assist from Mackenzie Sherrod and two goals from Zuza Stasiak. Cassidy Bourne, Liberty Jones and Alyssa Holden also scored for the Pioneers in the match.
Wingate’s shot edge over Tusculum was bolstered by the Bulldogs’ 21-9 advantage in draw controls over the Pioneers. Knowles led all players with eight draw controls, with four apiece from Emily Blakely, Claire Fuchs and Katie Koroly. Brewer and Stasiak led Tusculum with three draw controls apiece.
The Bulldogs led 2-0 after 3 1/2 minutes before the Pioneers got on the board on a goal from Bourne with 7:13 left in the first quarter. Goals from Knowles and Watson were answered by Stasiak, but Wingate scored twice more in the final three minutes of the quarter to take a 6-2 advantage.
Sherrod scored twice in the second quarter and had an assist on a goal from Brewer, but seven different players accounted for the seven goals in the period for the Bulldogs as Wingate took a 13-5 lead to halftime.
Wingate scored the first three goals of the third quarter before Jones ended the Bulldogs’ run with 3:15 left in the period. The teams would score three goals apiece in the fourth quarter, with the Pioneers receiving free-position goals from Stasiak and Holden and a goal from Brewer with 1:52 remaining.
Brewer led Tusculum with three ground balls, while Bree Solero had three ground balls for Wingate. Knowles led all players in the match with three caused turnovers, with two from Solero.
Wingate had a 16-10 advantage over Tusculum in ground balls, while the Pioneers turned the ball over 14 times to 11 by the Bulldogs. Both teams were efficient on clears, with Wingate going 13-for-15 and Tusculum 12-for-15.
Emily White played the first, second and fourth quarters in goal for the Pioneers and made eight saves, with Mackie McCotter making two saves in the third quarter. Wingate’s keepers split the match, as Megan Biase had three saves in the first half and Riley Boone added two in the second half.
Tusculum will travel to play Montevallo on Wednesday, March 13 at 2 p.m. (Eastern) in the Pioneers’ final non-conference match of the season. The Falcons will bring a 2-5 record into its contest at Lander on Sunday, March 10 at noon.
