Week 12
vs. Wingate
Date: Nov. 24
Kickoff: 2:00 p.m.
Location: Hickory, N.C.
Stadium: Moretz Athletic Complex
Series: UNG leads, 3-2
Last Meeting: UNG 2, WU 1 (2016)
Game Coverage: Live Stats | Live Video
Game Preview: The University of North Georgia women's soccer team continues their quest for a regional championship as they battle seventh-seeded Wingate Sunday afternoon on the campus of Lenoir-Rhyne University.
Follow Live: Links, courtesy of Lenoir-Rhyne, are available above. Fans can also follow the action through Twitter by following the women's soccer team (@UNGWSOC).
Rankings: North Georgia sits at No. 18, the highest ranking of the year for UNG. Flagler is also in the poll, holding at No. 3. The Nighthawks are seeded No. 3 in the southeast region behind No. 1 Flagler and No. 2 Lenoir-Rhyne. Lincoln Memorial and UNC Pembroke rounded out the top five seeds
Last Time Out: The Nighthawks gave Mount Olive its only loss of the year in a 1-0 win in the opening round Friday afternoon. Taylor Malasek scored in the ninth minute and the back line made the goal hold up in the 13th shutout of the season.
Wingate: Wingate is 14-4-2 on the year, falling in the SAC championship game to Lincoln Memorial, 1-0. The Bulldogs ousted second-seeded and No. 8 Lenoir-Rhyne by a 4-0 result on Friday that saw Taylor Krakower score the first and last goals of the night for the Bulldogs. WU is led by Krakower and Kaitlyn Cox with six goals each, while the former has added eight assists to get to a team-high 20 points. Abbey Frail will likely tend goal for Wingate having allowed just 11 goals on the year in nearly 1,800 minutes in goal. North Georgia is 3-2 against Wingate all-time and has won each of the last three in the series. UNG has not lost in this decade to the Bulldogs and are 2-0 in neutral site games. The two sides last played in 2016, a 2-1 win in Dahlonega for the Nighthawks.
Postseason Awards: Taylor Malasek was named the PBC Elite 15 Winner for women's soccer, marking the first time a women's soccer player at UNG has won the award. Modeled after the NCAA Elite 90, the Elite 15 Award is given at each of the 15 PBC championships to the student-athlete competing in the championship with the highest over cumulative GPA. North Georgia had five players named All-Conference, including three first-teamers. Taylor Malasek (forward), Maysoon El-Shami (midfielder) and Olivia Dumphy (defender) were each named to the first team. Katey Derkay (forward) and Morgan Ramby (goalkeeper) were named to the second team.
Tournament History: This is the sixth time that UNG has made the Southeast Regional tournament. UNG is 1-4 all-time in regional semifinal games.
NCAA Regional Outlook: The other regional semifinal sees Flagler take on Lincoln Memorial in St. Augustine. The Saints beat Catawba, 3-0, while the Railsplitters ousted UNC Pembroke, 3-1, in the opening round.
