Bulldogs Fall to Georgia Southern in Offensive Showcase
September 16, 2006 | Men's Soccer
Boiling Springs, N.C. - The Gardner-Webb men's soccer team was at home on Saturday afternoon for the first time since August 26th when they took on the Eagles of Georgia Southern. The Bulldogs would come up just short, falling to the Eagles 4-3.
The first half was full of excitement as each team showed off their offensive firepower with the two teams combining to score four goals in a three minute span a third of the way through the period.
The Bulldogs struck first at the 16:06 mark when senior Carlton Hughes played a great ball to freshman Boris Gatzky who then made a pass to sophomore Chris Salvaggione 10 yards out in front of the goal. Salvaggione then put a shot past the Eagles goalkeeper Brian Young, giving the 'Dogs an early 1-0 lead.
However, the Eagles would quickly answer back capitalizing on a foul in the box by the Bulldogs. At the 16:40 mark, Georgia Southern's Brad Mitchum tied the score up at 1-1 with a penalty kick that barely got past GWU's keeper Dane Geraci in the lower right corner.
Yet the Bulldogs did not give up and would retake the lead only a minute later at the 17:39 mark, when Salvaggione scored his second goal of the game, receiving a touch pass right in front of the net from Gatzky, who had taken a lead pass fron Richard Godfrey into the right side of the box.
With the score 2-1, the Eagles again would answer the Bulldogs with an unassisted goal by Jason Tindall. Tindall cut in front of a GWU defender, stealing a pass, and putting a shot just inside the top left corner of the net, knotting the score up at 2-2.
Georgia Southern would tack on one more goal, as in the 36th minute Daniel Smith would give the Eagles a 3-2 lead going into the half.
In the second half, the Eagles would add to the 3-2 lead with a goal at the 84:45 mark by Jon Cox, who received a pass from Calvin Simon on a breakaway and put the ball in the net past a diving Geraci.
Down 4-2 and time running out, the 'Dogs would not give up. Sophomore Miguel Pinzon would score on a direct free kick at the 87:15 mark putting a shot past the Eagles' keeper, just inside the top of the right post, closing the gap to 4-3.
The 'Dogs would battle hard for the last three minutes of regulation to try to get the game-tying goal, but could not quite get it past the Eagles' defense.
Gardner-Webb's keeper Dane Geraci had 10 saves in goal for the 'Dogs, including six of those saves coming in the second half.
The Bulldogs (0-3-2) next match is scheduled for Wednesday, September 20, when they will travel just down the road to Charlotte, N.C. to take on the Charlotte 49ers. The match is set to start at 7 p.m.
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| Georgia Southern vs. Gardner-Webb Box Score |
