CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Queens University of Charlotte battled Wingate University in today's South Atlantic Conference Men's Lacrosse Championship game falling 11-10 to the Bulldogs in overtime. No. 11 Wingate improves to 13-3 on the season while the Royals close their 2017 campaign at 10-7. The loss to Wingate today was the first home loss of the season for Queens.
 
Duncan Smith led the Royals with three goals while Nick Sawyer totaled two goals and three assists. Justin Swick, Jonathan Paige, Laszlo Henning, Tommy Desilva, and Eric Fitz each netted one goal.
 
Sawyer of Queens was the first to score just two minutes into the game, but Wingate answered with a goal four minutes later from Alex Llerandi to knot things at 1-1. However, Henning, Smith, and Swick would score three straight to put the Royals up 4-1 on the Bulldogs early.
 
In the second period, Wingate was able to cut Queens' lead to two, 4-2, after scoring a goal in a man-up situation. Shortly after, Daniel Godwin and Ryan Voqriq would each score to tie things up 4-4 with 11:22 on the clock. Queens then ran the clock down to 5:43 before Fitz would net a behind-the-back goal to take the lead 5-4. However, Wingate's Tanner Kotch had an answer for Wingate scoring with just 10 seconds left in the half to tie the score once again, 5-5, at the break.
 
Wingate's Jeremy Sullivan would score for the Bulldogs just three minutes into the third period to give his team the lead and they increased the margin with another goal at 8 minutes, 7-5. Paige broke up the Bulldogs run scoring after winning a face-off to make the score 8-6, but the Bulldogs would come back with another goal to extend their lead to three, 9-6. Queens' Desilva and Sawyer then found the back of the net in the closing minutes of the period to cut the deficit to one, 9-8, heading into the final period.
 
Queens' Smith knotted the game again, 9-9, with a quick goal to start the fourth and he would add another to give the Royals a 10-9 lead with 10:02 on the clock. Despite Smith's back-to-back goals, Wingate's Voqriq would tie the score 10-10 with six minutes on the clock to force overtime.
 
Wingate's Alex Llerandi scored the game winner with 48 seconds on the clock in overtime to secure the win for the Bulldogs.
 
Queens outshot Wingate 37-36, putting 21 shots on goals to the Bulldogs' 19. The Royals also picked up 29 ground balls to Wingate's 16. Jonathan Paige won 16-of-20 face-offs in the loss and totaled 11 ground balls. Goalkeeper Anthony Valenza recorded eight saves in the cage.
 
Llerandi led the Bulldogs with three goals in the win while Sullivan and Vogrig totaled two apiece. Goalkeeper Will Sheridan walked away with the win in goal recording 11 saves. He was named SAC Championship Tournament MVP following the game.
 
The 2017 SAC Men's Lacrosse Championship All-Tournament Team is listed below.
 



All-Tournament Team
Collin Lett- LR
Kevin Haggerty- Tusculum
Justin Swick- Queens
Jonathan Paige- Queens
Anthony Valenza- Queens
Will Sheridan- Wingate (MVP)
Alex Llerandi- Wingate
Drew Thompson- Wingate
Vinny Aiello- Wingate
Sean Moran- Wingate