Box Score ROCK HILL, S.C. – The Newberry Wolves women’s soccer team dropped a heartbreaking South Atlantic Conference Tournament semifinals match to No. 2 Wingate University, 1-0.
Newberry (10-4-4) held a 13-4 advantage in total shots and a 9-3 advantage in shots on goal in the game. Wingate led in corner kicks 2-1. The Wolves forced Wingate (12-2-3) goalkeeper Ashlyn Hardie to make nine saves to keep Newberry out of the back of the net with five of the nine coming in the second half.
The Wolves defense of Amber Sanchez (Tujunga, Calif.), Elise Sanchez (Tujunga, Calif.) and Valeria Newcomb (, Calif.) limited the Bulldogs to four shots in the first half and locked down in the second half to allow none.
Freshman forward Taylor Leyble had the game’s only breakthrough and the only real chance for the Bulldogs 20 minutes into the contest. Jade Montgomery played in a ball that was flicked on by Brooke Howell and found Leyble’s feet at the back post for the tap in.
The Wolves best chance came in the 60th minute as honorable mention all-SAC player Breanna Naranjo (Oxnard, Calif.) received a cross on the back post but her header went painstakingly wide and into the left side netting.
Gabrielle Brodie (Rolleston, Canterbury, New Zealand) had three shots with two of them coming on goal. Sarah Sager (Saugus, Calif.) had two shots on goal as did Brayden Miller (Lyman, S.C.).
Newberry had the only shots of the second half and despite having eight of them and five on goal, they couldn’t find the equalizer.
After the game, Elise Sanchez and Brodie were given their awards for being named first team all-SAC game and all seniors were honored by the conference for their athletic and academic commitment. Coach Deedee Sanguinetti also received her SAC Coach of the Year award.
