Lenoir-Rhyne Defeats Wingate 2-0 to win SAC Soccer Championship Women's Title

ROCK HILL, S.C. – Behind a pair of goals from freshman Leah Mullins and a dominant defensive effort, Lenoir-Rhyne defeated Wingate 2-0 Sunday afternoon to win the 2012 Food Lion SAC Soccer Championship women's title.

Lenoir-Rhyne's championship is the program's second in three years and earns the Bears an automatic bid to the NCAA Women's Soccer Championship. It comes after L-R went a perfect 9-0 in SAC matches to win the conference's regular-season title.

Mullins, this season's SAC Freshman of the Year, got top-seeded Lenoir-Rhyne on the board in the 12th minute, scoring off a long assist from freshman Garcelle Alequine.

Mullins continued to pressure the Wingate defense in the first half, recording two more shots on goal. Neither team could find the net again in the half, however, and it went into the break 1-0.

Less than three minutes into the second period, Mullins struck again, this time after outrunning the Bulldog defense on a breakaway to beat WU keeper Miriam Boucher.

The goal was Mullins' 13th of the season, which is now the second-highest total of any SAC player. The 2012 All-SAC First Team selection, who was also named the SAC Championship Most Valuable Player, finished with a match-high four shots on Sunday.

Wingate, the championship's No. 2 seed, had several chances to cut into L-R's lead in the second half, but couldn't penetrate the Bears' defense, which was led by All-SAC keeper Caitlin Scruggs.

Scruggs, who also earned All-Tournament Team honors, finished the match with three saves, including a goal-saving deflection near the top crossbar midway through the second half on free kick from Wingate's Holly Holsclaw.

Wingate's offense attack was led by All-Tournament Team selection Jade Montgomery, who finished with two shots. Holsclaw and Katie Simpson also had two shots apiece for the Bulldogs.

For the match, Lenoir-Rhyne outshot Wingate 13-12.

Joining Mullins and Scruggs on the All-Tournament Team from L-R were Alequine and defenders Hanna Kiebel and Brianna Belsky.

Wingate had three more players selected to the All-Tournament team as well in Boucher, forward Shelby Forza and defender Chelsey Horan.

Rounding out the All-Tournament Team were Tusculum's Amy Morford and Alisha Pugh and Catawba's Mary Kirkman and Allison Baucom.