Box Score

Rock Hill, S.C.----The second-seeded Wingate University Bulldogs scored four times in the first half en route to a 4-2 victory over top-seeded and fifth-ranked Lenoir-Rhyne University in the championship game of the 2011 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference women’s soccer tournament Sunday afternoon. The Bulldogs win their first ever SAC Tournament title, receiving the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Wingate has won 15 of its last 16 contests, improving to 16-3 overall. Lenoir-Rhyne sees its 15-game winning streak come to an end, falling to 17-2 overall.
 
The Bulldogs got on the board first 12:27 into the opening half, when sophomore forward Chandler Murphy (Daniels Island, S.C.) took a through ball from Kelly Adams (Matthews, N.C.) and netted her ninth goal of the year to give Wingate the early lead.
 
The Bulldogs struck again less than two minutes later, when a lead pass junior midfielder Izabella Miranda (Plymouth, Mass.) found freshman forward AJ Lightbody (Matthews, N.C.) behind the defense. Lightbody beat the keeper and found the back of the net for the eighth time this year to push the lead to two.
 
The Bears got on the board. With just under 15 minutes remaining in the first half, when SAC Player of the Year Catherine Hauck (Lake Mary, Fla.) scored her 11th goal of the year on a free kick from just outside the box to cut the Wingate lead in half.
 
The ‘Dogs had the answer less than three minutes later, when junior forward Shelby Forza (Pickering, Ontario) took a cross from Murphy and scored her fifth goal of the year to push the lead back to two.
 
Wingate took a three-goal advantage with just over two minutes remaining in the first half. A free kick from senior defender Casey King (Danvers, Mass.) found freshman forward Jade Montgomery (Monroe, N.C.) behind the defense. She headed home her sixth goal of the tournament and 13th of the year to make it 4-1 going into halftime.
 
Each team took nine shots in the opening half, with all nine of Wingate’s shots being on goal. The Bears had five shots on goal in the first half.
 
The lone goal of the second half came with 15 minutes remaining in regulation, when freshman defender Hanna Kiebel (Parker, Colo.) bounced in a free kick from over 30 yards out, scoring her fourth goal of the season.
 
Lenoir-Rhyne out-shot Wingate 21-13 on the match, but Wingate held an 11-8 edge in shots on goal. Junior goalkeeper Miriam Boucher (Calgary, Alberta) had six saves for the Bulldogs. Junior Caitlin Scruggs (Torrance, Calif.) had seven saves for the Bears.
 
Adams was named the tournament MVP. The league’s all-time leader in career assists had a goal and five assists in the three SAC Tournament victories. She now has 17 assists this season, ranking second on the league’s all-time single-season charts. The other Bulldogs to earn All-Tournament honors were Montgomery, Murphy and King.
 
Wingate netted 13 goals in their three SAC tournament victories. The run started with a 4-1 victory over Catawba Wednesday night. Wingate followed with a 5-2 victory over Newberry to set up the showdown with the Bears. The ‘Dogs will make their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. Lenoir-Rhyne will find out its postseason fate Monday, when the NCAA Tournament field is announced.