Wingate University Women picked second in the SAC preseason poll: 5 bulldogs picked for preseason all-conference honors
Date Posted: 8/25/2015
Rock Hill, S.C.----The two-time defending South Atlantic Conference tournament champion Wingate University Bulldogs have been picked to finish second in the preseason poll, which was released Monday morning. The league's 12 head coaches vote on the preseason poll. In addition, five Bulldogs earned preseason All-SAC honors, including three first team selections.
Defending regular season champion Lenoir-Rhyne is the preseason favorite. The Bears received one more vote than the Bulldogs did in the preseason poll, while LRU earned seven first-place votes compared to Wingate's five. The Bulldogs and Bears met in the 2014 SAC title match, with Wingate prevailing in penalty kicks. Lincoln Memorial was picked third, followed by Newberry, Catawba and Tusculum. Queens and Tusculum rounded out the top eight, while Carson-Newman and Coker were picked ninth and 10th. Mars Hill was picked to finish 11th, with Brevard being picked 12th.
Wingate and Lenoir-Rhyne each had three players earn preseason first team All-SAC honors. Juniors Brooke Howell(Charlotte, N.C.), Kaitlyn Brunworth (Littleton, Colo.) and Macy Franklin (Conover, N.C.) all earn preseason first team All-SAC accolades. Junior Naomi Matley (Clover, S.C.) and sophomore Taylor Leyble (Jacksonville, N.C.) are second team preseason all-conference selections.
Howell earned first team All-SAC and All-Region honors in 2014. The junior ranked second in the SAC with 14 goals last year, adding five assists to rank third in the league with 33 points. Howell started the year by scoring four goals in Wingate's first three contests, while notching at least one point in each of the Bulldogs' first five matches. She scored two goals in the win against Mount Olive, followed by a two-goal performance in the Mars Hill win. Howell had the game-winner against Coker, adding an assist, while also scoring in the win at Brevard. She netted game-winning goals in consecutive games at Queens and Anderson, while adding an assist in the regular season finale against LMU. Howell scored the game-winning goal in overtime to give the Bulldogs a 1-0 win over Queens in the SAC Tournament quarterfinals. She had an assist in the 1-0 win against Newberry in the SAC Tournament semifinals.
Brunworth was a first team All-SAC and All-Region selection during her sophomore season with the Bulldogs, while also being named the SAC Scholar-Athlete. She started every match in 2014 and has started 40 of 42 career games as a Bulldog. She had three goals and three assists on the season, while also playing a key role in Wingate's dominant defensive effort. Brunworth scored the game-winner in the 4-1 victory at number 10 Catawba. She followed by notching an assist in the 1-0 win against Tusculum. Brunworth registered a goal and an assist in the Mount Olive victory, while collecting an assist in the Coker win. She scored in the SAC championship game against Lenoir-Rhyne, tying it in the second half while adding a successful attempt in penalty kicks to lead the 'Dogs to the title.
Franklin was an all-conference and All-Region selection in 2014. The two-time All-SAC selection was a team captain during her sophomore season, anchoring Wingate's dominant defense. The Bulldogs allowed a league-low 12 goals in 20 games during the 2014 season, holding opponents to 8.9 shots per game. Wingate piled up 13 shutouts, which included a streak of 11 consecutive shutouts late in the season and in the SAC Tournament. The Bulldogs went over 1,060 minutes without allowing a goal during their shutout streak. Wingate allowed only three goals during conference play, which also led the SAC.
Matley was an honorable mention All-SAC selection during her sophomore season. The midfielder led the league with six assists in 2014. Matley had an assist in the 7-0 Mount Olive win, while handing out a pair of assists in 4-0 victory at Mars Hill. She had an assist in the Brevard win, while notching two assists in 3-0 victory against Lincoln Memorial.
Leyble started 18 contests during her freshman season at Wingate, accumulating six goals and four assists, ranking ninth in the SAC in goals and points. She had a goal and an assist in Wingate's 4-1 win at 10th-ranked Catawba. Leyble also had a goal and an assist in the 7-0 Mount Olive win. She notched a goal and an assist in the victory at Brevard, while netting the game-winner in 3-0 win against Lincoln Memorial. She scored the game-winner in the 1-0 victory against Newberry in SAC Tournament semifinals. Leyble had the lone goal in Wingate's 1-0 victory against Armstrong State in NCAA regional semifinals.
The Bulldogs begin the 2015 season on the road, traveling to Lander Saturday, Sept. 5 at 7 p.m. Wingate is then away at Mount Olive Sept. 9, while playing its home opener Saturday, Sept. 12 against USC Aiken at 7 p.m.