Wingate Snaps Losing Skid With Win Over Braves

WINGATE – Wingate used an 81st minute goal from Julie Zielinski to take the game’s first lead and the defense handled things the rest of the way out as the Bulldogs stayed unbeaten with a 1-0 victory over visiting UNCP Tuesday evening at the Wingate Soccer Complex.

The result snapped a two-game series winning streak for the Lady Braves (5-3-0) who have now lost consecutive outings for the first time in nearly two years (Oct. 6-10, 2007). The victory was the first for Wingate (6-0-2) in the series with its region rivals since a 2-1 home overtime victory on Oct. 10, 2006.

Andrea Collen collected all five of UNCP’s shots on the night, with goalkeeper Rea Segoviano turning in a pair of saves. The score was Zielinski’s first of the season, but a brunt of the night’s success went to Bulldog goalkeeper Catie Avery who snagged a pair of saves herself en route to posting her second clean sheet of the campaign.

"After Saturday's game I challenged the team to come out here and redeem themselves tonight,” said UNCP head coach Lars Andersson. “We battled tonight and we worked very hard but, unfortunately, we didn't play very good football. This team needs to find an identity. We need to have someone step up and lead us to a win over a quality team. This team can do one of two things; accept the fact that we are a good team and we are just not playing well, or they can roll over and play dead the rest of the season."

A lackluster first half produced just two shots for both sides at the intermission, but UNCP did the most to change that for much of the second stanza. The visitors tallied a corner kick and a shot in the first 10 minutes of the second period and held Wingate without a look until the 66th minute when Kelly Moldenhauer’s short range header was easily collected by UNCP goalkeeper Rea Segoviano.

A staunch attack by the Bulldogs in the 79th minute would produce a timely set play for the hosts, however. An ensuing corner kick by Kelly Adams into the penalty area was fumbled by Segoviano after a pair of Wingate players collided hard with the freshman and Zielinski redirected the loose ball into the back of the net for the game’s only score.

UNCP will be back in action again on Saturday when the Lady Braves make the long trip to Alabama to face Peach Belt Conference newbie Montevallo (2-2-1, 0-0-1 PBC) in a 5 p.m. CDT match-up at UM’s Varsity Field.