Wingate Wins 2017 South Atlantic Conference Men’s Soccer Tournament Championship | WATCH
Top Seed Wingate Wins 2017 South Atlantic Conference Men's Soccer Tournament Championship
Rock Hill, S.C.----Wingate University All-American forward Jon Ander scored both goals for the top-seeded Bulldogs Sunday afternoon, leading regular season champion Wingate to a 2-1 double-overtime victory over seventh-seeded Queens University in the championship game of the 2017 South Atlantic Conference men's soccer tournament. Wingate wins its fourth SAC Tournament title, improving to 15-4-1 on the season. Queens falls to 9-6-4 overall.
The defending national champion Bulldogs receive the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The 2017 NCAA Tournament field will be announced Monday evening.
Wingate got on the board first in the 27th minute. Ander got the ball outside the box, then made a series of moves, beating Queens defenders going from the left side of the box towards the middle, then beating the keeper for his eighth goal of the year.
Queens got the equalizer with 10 minutes left in the first half. Edmundo Robinson sent a cross to the right side of the box, where Adam Ward was there to beat the Wingate keeper for his first goal of the year.
That was all of the scoring until the second overtime. Keegan Burton had a great chance to put the Royals on top in the 66th minute, but his shot right in front of the right post was stopped by a diving Pablo Jara. A header in the 89th minute from SAC Freshman of the Year Mattia Ditommaso was heading towards the back of the net when Queens keeper Sergio Lemus made the stop to send it to overtime.
Robinson got into the left side of the box in the first overtime, but his shot sailed wide left. Elma N'For of Wingate had a similar chance a minute later, but his effort was just wide of the upper right corner.
Five minutes into the second overtime, Wingate sent a ball into the box that hit the hand of a Queens defender. Ander was ready, converting the game-winning penalty kick for his ninth goal of the year and fifth of the SAC Tournament.
Ander was named the SAC Tournament MVP, joining teammates Jara, Rob Tomlin and David Fairgrieve on the All-SAC Tournament Team. Juan Carlos Carrillo joined Robinson and Lemus from Queens on the all-tournament team.
Wingate out-shot Queens 18-12 on the day, holding a 7-6 edge in shots on goal. Jara had five saves for the Bulldogs, while Lemus collected five saves for the Royals. Ander led all players with six shots, while Robinson registered five shots for Queens.
2017 SAC Men's Soccer All-Tournament Team
Jon Ander, Wingate (MVP)
Rob Tomlin, Wingate
Pablo Jara, Wingate
David Fairgrieve, Wingate
Juan Carlos Carrillo, Queens
Edmundo Robinson, Queens
Sergio Lemus, Queens
Caleb Cothrin, Lincoln Memorial
Felipe Machado, Lincoln Memorial
Josh Calabria, Anderson
Gal Elyashiv, Anderson