Wingate University Athletics issued the following announcement on Aug. 5.
After capturing their fourth SAC Tournament championship in the last six seasons, the Wingate University Bulldogs will get the 2021 season started as the sixth-ranked team in the United Soccer Coaches preseason top 25, which was released Wednesday afternoon. The Bulldogs wrapped up the 2021 spring season ranked sixth in the final poll.
Wingate went 7-1-1 in the 2021 spring season. The Bulldogs knocked off a pair of top-15 teams on the road in the SAC Tournament semifinals and SAC title game to capture the tourney championship for the fourth time in the last six seasons. Wingate advanced to the national quarterfinals in 2019 after capturing the SAC Tourney title.
The Bulldogs return plenty of firepower from the title squad, with seven All-SAC honorees from the spring returning, including first team selections Soren Nygaard, Mikkel Fahlen Bruun, Owen Marshall, Niclas Wittur and Devin Scully, along with second team honoree Pedro Santos and honorable mention selection Jens Bergendorff.
Freshman Nick Bennett led the Bulldogs with six goals last season, with four of those coming in three SAC Tournament matches. Nygaard piled up five goals and three assists, tying for the team lead with 13 points in the spring. Fahlen Bruun had two goals and a team-best five assists, while Wittur and Marshall combined for four goals and five assists.
Wingate is the only SAC school ranked in the preseason poll, with Lenoir-Rhyne, Carson-Newman and Queens all receiving votes. Region foe Lander is ranked 10th in the preseason poll, with fellow region teams Francis Marion, Young Harris and Erskine also receiving votes.
The Bulldogs open the 2021 season at home on Thursday, Sept. 2, hosting Florida Tech at 7 p.m. Wingate hosts Rollins two days later at 7 p.m. The 'Dogs wrap up the season-opening four-game home stand by hosting Francis Marion and Shaw Sept. 9 and 11 before opening league play at Queens Sept. 15.
Original source can be found here.
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