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Wingate University Men's and Women's Soccer both ranked #16 in the nation

Date Posted: 9/23/2015

The Wingate University Women's Soccer team made their first appearance in the 2015 NSCAA Division II women's soccer top 25 poll this week, checking in at 16th in the rankings released Tuesday afternoon. The 5-0 Bulldogs were receiving votes in previous top 25 polls this season.  

At 5-0 on the year, the Bulldogs are the only SAC team without a loss this season. Wingate is 2-0 in league play, following Saturday's 2-1 win against a previously undefeated Anderson team that had outscored opponents 28-2 this year.

Wingate opened the year with a pair of road wins, starting with a 3-2 victory at Lander. Goals from juniors Brooke Howell (Charlotte, N.C.) and Kaitlyn Brunworth (Littleton, Colo.) had the game tied 2-2 in the final minute. Sophomore Taylor Leyble (Jacksonville, N.C.) netted the game-winner with 18 seconds left in regulation to give Wingate a dramatic season-opening win.

The Bulldogs followed with a 2-1 win at Mount Olive. Junior defender Macy Franklin (Conover, N.C.) got Wingate on the board in the sixth minute, while freshman Sophie Jendrzejczyk (St. Charles, Ill.) scored the game-winner with less than 20 minutes left in regulation. Jendrzejczyk had a goal and an assist in the 2-0 win against USC Aiken in the home opener, while junior Naomi Matley (Clover, S.C.) also found the back of the net.

Wingate opened SAC play with a 4-0 victory at Mars Hill. Freshmen Gabby Caliendo (Orlando, Fla.) and Kimmi Moore (Hubert, N.C.) scored in the first half, while Leyble added a second-half goal for the 'Dogs. Wingate notched a 2-1 win over Anderson on Saturday, with senior Victoria Fichman (Matthews, N.C.) netting her first goal in the 14th minute. Gabby Fleischli (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) also scored her first career goal for the Bulldogs, who built a 2-0 halftime lead against the Trojans in Saturday's battle of the final two undefeated SAC teams.

Jendrzejczyk has a team-best five points on the year, with two goals and an assist. Leyble is tied for the team lead with two goals, while Brunworth is tied for second in points, notching a goal and a team-best two assists. Howell, Fichman, Moore, Matley and Fleischli each have a goal and an assist for the Bulldogs this year. Sophomore goalkeeper Alexis Jones (Midway Park, N.C.) is 4-0 for the Bulldogs, allowing just two goals in 353 minutes, compiling a save percentage of .857. She leads the league in goals-against average while ranking third in save percentage.

 

The Wingate Univeristy Men's Soccer team moved up three spots in this week's NSCAA Division II men's soccer top 25 poll, checking in at number 16. Wingate has been ranked in every poll this season. The Bulldogs are 4-0-2 overall and 2-0 in the SAC. The 'Dogs are also ranked third in the NSCAA Southeast Region poll.

Wingate is one of only two SAC schools without a loss this year. The Bulldogs are the only conference team ranked in the top 25. Wingate is one of four teams from the NCAA Southeast Region, joining fourth-ranked Pfeiffer, No. 12 Limestone and No. 24 Young Harris.

The Bulldogs have outscored their opponents 13-4 on the year. Wingate opened the year with a 2-0 win against Barton. All-Region defender Alex Nelson (Newcastle, England) scored a goal in the home opener for the second straight year, netting the game-winner in the first half. All-American Charlie Machell (Newcastle, England) scored in Wingate's 1-1 tie against Flagler.

The Bulldogs picked up a convincing 5-0 victory against a UNC Pembroke team that entered the contest undefeated. Redshirt sophomore midfielder Callum Ross (Newcastle, England) registered his first career hat trick in the contest, while sophomore Jon Ander (Bilbao, Spain) added a goal and an assist. All-Region midfielder Shaun Gadsby (Newcastle, England) notched a pair of assists in the match.

A late goal from All-Region midfielder Aksel Juul (Newcastle, England) helped the Bulldogs earn a 1-1 tie against Clayton State. Nelson found the back of the net in the first half of the SAC opener at Mars Hill, while Machell added a goal one minute into the second half in Wingate's 2-1 victory. The Bulldogs overcame a 1-0 halftime deficit against Anderson Saturday, getting a goal from Ross 10 minutes into the second half to tie it. Ander delivered the game-winner in the final five minutes of regulation, off a perfect pass from Gadsby.

Ross is tied for the SAC lead with four goals this year, ranking second in the league in assists to compile a conference-best 11 points. The reigning SAC Player of the Year Machell ranks fourth in the league with three goals and fifth with seven points, while Ander and Nelson have two goals each. Gadsby is tied for second in the conference with his three assists, while Ander's six points are good for seventh in the league. Freshman goalkeeper Pablo Jara (Santiago, Chile) leads the SAC with a 0.64 goals-against average and a save percentage of .846.

Both teams return to action Wednesday against Queens. The women play at 5pm and the men play at 7pm, both games will be streamed on ESPN3.