HICKORY, N.C. – For the second time in program history, the Lenoir-Rhyne Men's Lacrosse Team captured a South Atlantic Conference Tournament Championship. The Bears last won a SAC Tourney in 2016 but added a second title with a win over No. 3 Wingate this afternoon.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final: No. 6 Lenoir-Rhyne 19 , No. 3 Wingate 14
Records: Lenoir-Rhyne (13-1), Wingate (11-2)
Location: Moretz Stadium
STATS OF THE GAME:
- The Bears used an eight-goal second quarter to erase a 5-4 Wingate lead after one. LR scored six of those eight goals in the first 4:46 of the second quarter.
- Will Canata came into the game with eight goals on the year but scored three of LR's first seven goals and finished with a career-high five goals on the game.
- After Wingate cut it to 12-10 in the third quarter, Myles Moffat scored one of his four goals on the game and Bryce Reece added another to give the Bears a four-goal cushion.
- Canata's final goal of the game gave the Bears their biggest lead of the game at five and that was how it would finish with the Bears grabbing the 19-14 win.
- Eric Dickinson finished with three goals and an assist as he would go on to be named the Tournament's Most Valuable Player.
- Victor Powell scored his first career goal and added five caused turnovers and three ground balls.
- Zach Bodeau dominated the face-off, winning 22-of-28 and grabbing a career-high 15 ground balls.
- Noah Johnson had 16 saves to earn his 13th win of the season.
- Wingate was led by a tremendous effort by Willie Grieco who dished out eight assists. Adam Vodovnik had six goals and Bobby Padden had four goals and an assist.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:
- The Bears beat Queens to win the 2016 SAC Tournament title by a score of 10-9.
- Lenoir-Rhyne is now 9-5 all-time in SAC Tournament games.
- The Bears lost to Wingate in the SAC title game in 2018.
- LR snapped a four-game losing streak to Wingate and pushed the all-time record to 7-6 in favor of the Bears.
- Dickinson joins Carson Sterling as the only players in LR history to be named SAC Tournament MVP.
- This is Lenoir-Rhyne's fourth win over a ranked team this year and the highest-ranked opponent they have beaten all season.
- LR also captured the regular-season crown making this the second sweep of the regular season and postseason championships in program history.
UP NEXT: Bears will find out their NCAA Tournament draw with the NCAA Division II Men's Lacrosse Selection Show