Wingate Captures 2021 SAC Spring Men's Soccer Tournament Title
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Wingate
(6-1-1, 4-1-1)
|
0 | 1 | 1 |
|
Lenoir-Rhyne
(6-1-1, 4-0-1)
|
0 | 0 | 0 |
Team Stats
| Game Statistics | Wingate | Lenoir-Rhyne |
|---|---|---|
| Shots (on goal) | 5 (2) | 13 (3) |
| Saves | 3 | 1 |
| Fouls | 20 | 15 |
| Corner Kicks | 0 | 5 |
| Offsides | 3 | 3 |
HICKORY, N.C. (TheSAC.com) – In a battle of nationally-ranked teams, it was the No. 25 Wingate Bulldogs that emerged victorious, as they defeated the No. 7 Lenoir-Rhyne Bears 1-0 to claim the 2021 South Atlantic Conference Spring Men's Soccer Tournament Championship on Sunday (April 11).
It was a hard-fought, physical match from the opening kick-off to the final whistle. Lenoir-Rhyne outshot the Wingate on the day, 13 to five, and the Bears put three shots on goal, compared to just two for the Bulldogs.
After a scoreless first half of action, it was Wingate's Nick Bennett that found the back of the net on a header in the 76th minute of play with an assist from Daniel Kuper.
Wingate goalkeeper Jens Bergendorff made three saves in the match to earn the shutout.
Bennett earned MVP honors for the tournament, scoring game-winning goals in both the semifinal and final games.
Joining Bennett on the 11-member All-Tournament team:
Bram Kaarsgaren, Carson-Newman
Thaylan Silva, Carson-Newman
Mariano Carpena, Anderson
Ben Leman, Anderson
Dani Fernandez, Lenoir-Rhyne
Victor Cascon, Lenoir-Rhyne
Carles Montoliu Lobo, Lenoir-Rhyne
Owen Marshall, Wingate
Jens Bergendorff, Wingate
Devin Scully, Wingate
Nick Bennett (MVP)
-#MakeSACYours-