Rock Hill, S.C. - The Lenoir-Rhyne Women's Soccer Team (16-1-2) shut out Wingate (14-2-2), 2-0, Sunday afternoon in the championship match of the 2012 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Tournament at Manchester Meadows.
L-R freshman forward Leah Mullins (Kissimmee, Fla.) scored both goals for the Bears, who won their second league tournament in school history.
Lenoir-Rhyne, ranked No. 11 in NCAA Division II, also won the Food Lion SAC Tournament Championship in 2010.? The Bears and Bulldogs have met in the finals of the league tournament for the past three seasons.
Mullins, the 2012 South Atlantic Conference Freshman Of The Year and a first-team all-conference selection, now has a team-leading 13 goals on the season.
Mullins opened the scoring in the 13th minute off a long pass from freshman midfielder Garcelle Alequine (Wilmington, Del.), who was credited with the assist.
The second goal of the match came in the 48th minute when Mullins scored from the left side.? Freshman defender Brianna Belsky (Egg Harbor Township, N.J.) notched the assist.
L-R senior goalkeeper Caitlin Scruggs (Torrance, Calif.), a first-team all-league honoree, earned the shutout victory after stopping three shots on the day.? Scruggs now has eight shutouts on the season.
Wingate's Miriam Boucher (Calgary, Alberta, CANADA) made a pair of saves in goal but suffered the loss.? The Bulldogs also saw their 12-match unbeaten streak (11-0-1) snapped.? Wingate has lost only two matches this year, both to Lenoir-Rhyne.
L-R, unbeaten in its last 15 matches (13-0-2), earned the league's automatic berth to the NCAA Division II Playoffs.? The Bears have qualified for the regional tournament for the past three seasons.
Mullins was named the Food Lion SAC Tournament Most Valuable Player and was joined on the all-tournament team by Scruggs, Alequine, Belsky and sophomore defender Hanna Kiebel (Parker, Colo.)
In addition to the SAC, Conference Carolinas and the Peach Belt Conference Tournament Champions will receive automatic bids to the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional Tournament as well in addition to three at-large bids.
In the latest regional poll, the Bears are ranked second while the Bulldogs are fifth.? Selections to the national playoffs will be announced on Monday at 7:30 p.m.
