Catawba Men’s Lacrosse Falls to Wingate, 17-7, in South Atlantic Clash

SALISBURY, N.C. — In a battle between two South Atlantic Conference contenders, the Catawba College men’s lacrosse team came up short at home Saturday, dropping a 17-7 decision to Wingate University. The Bulldogs used a high-octane offensive attack and stifling defense to pull away from the Indians in the second half.

Catawba (8-3, 4-3 SAC) managed 23 total shots with 12 on goal, while Wingate (9-2, 4-2 SAC) overwhelmed the stat sheet with 64 shots, putting 29 on frame. Despite the offensive disparity, Catawba goalkeeper Ben LoPiccolo kept the Indians within reach early, registering 12 saves — many from point-blank range.

The Indians had the early edge in turnovers, forcing four and committing just one in the first quarter. But Wingate flipped the script the rest of the way, applying intense defensive pressure to finish with a 20-14 advantage in caused turnovers.

Clearing the ball proved problematic for Catawba, converting just 17-of-24 attempts, while Wingate was flawless on clears, going 24-for-24.

The Bulldogs also dominated the faceoff X, winning 17 draws compared to Catawba’s 10. Cael Petroff led the Indians with nine faceoff wins and tied LoPiccolo for the team-high in ground balls with six.

Offensively, Frank Cetrone and Jordan Dash paced Catawba with two goals each, both converting each of their shots on goal. Peyton Turner and Tanner Stout each added a goal and an assist, while Jack Mercer chipped in a goal and Jackson Braswell registered an assist.

Defensively, Ben Butterfield and Owen Conway led the charge with two caused turnovers apiece, while Butterfield also tallied three ground balls.

With the loss, Catawba turns its focus to another ranked opponent as it heads to No. 11 Anderson for a crucial SAC matchup on Saturday, April 5 at noon.