'Dogs Hold off Ospreys, 3-2
October 05, 2006 | Men's Soccer
Boiling Springs, N.C. - The Gardner-Webb men's soccer team moved to 2-1-0 in A-Sun conference play on Thursday night, as junior Richard Godrey had a hat trick for the game and the Bulldog defense held of a second half surge by the visiting North Florida Ospreys, to win the match 3-2.
The Bulldogs came out firing as they outshot the Ospreys 10-3 in the first period.
Junior Richard Godfrey scored his second goal of the season at the 26:09 mark in the first period. Godfrey gave the 'Dogs an early 1-0 lead, when he capitalizied on a great pass from Boris Gatzky from the right side of the box, setting Godfrey up in front of the net.
The 'Dogs would take a 2-0 lead in the 43rd minute of the first period on a very similar play. Gatzky sent a cross from the right side of the box to a wide-open Godfrey who was right in front of the net. Godrey settled the pass with his chest and knee, lined up a shot, and put it in the back of the net past UNF's diving goalkeeper Taylor Unsinger.
With a 2-0 lead at the start of the second half the physicality of play dramatically increased, as the match became intensely heated.
The Ospreys got on the board at the 49:11 mark of the match, when Connor Skeen dribbled down the left sidelined and found a cutting Mark Sergio in the center of the box, who sent a slicing line drive past the outstretched hands of a diving Tyler Kettering and into the net right inside the back left post. Sergio's goal tightened up the score at 2-1.
Godfrey's third goal of the game came in the 82nd minute when a ball went through the Osprey's defense, where Godfrey flicked the ball past the diving goalkeeper and off another Osprey defender as it crossed the goalline, giving GWU a 3-1 lead.
Less than a minute later the Osprey's got a goal of their own, as a misplayed ball by the Bulldog defense in the back third of the field allowed UNF's David Pollard to put an open shot past Kettering, cutting the Bulldogs lead to 3-2.
However, the Bulldogs defense played both strong and smart in the last eight minutes of regulation, holding off the surging Osprey's offense and sealing the 3-2 victory.
The match was a very intense and physical one, as combined the teams accounted for 42 fouls and five yellow cards.
Godfrey's three goals for the night gives him four for the season.
The Bulldogs (2-6-2, 2-1-0) will be back in action this Saturday, October 7, when they will play host to A-Sun foe Jacksonville at Varsity Field at 1 p.m.
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| 2006 Men's Soccer Season Statistics (Printable) |
| Game 10: North Florida vs. Gardner-Webb Box Score |
