Gardner-Webb Douses Flames, Wins First Home Match Of The Year
October 23, 2008 | Women's Soccer
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – In the most crucial Big South match of the year for both Gardner-Webb and Liberty, the Bulldogs were able to pull off a 2-1 victory behind Tina Frost's first career goal.
The Bulldogs improve to 4-11-0 on the season and 2-4-0 in conference competition. The Lady Flames fall to 2-12-1 on the year and 2-6-0 in league play.
With the score tied at 1-1, Angie Harvey dribbled the ball to the top right of the box and sent it over the defense to the back left of the box. Frost, who had just entered the contest, stopped the ball near the end line, turned and flicked it above Ashley Nyholt toward the right side of the frame. The ball bounced twice toward the right side as Nyholt gave chase, but could not come up with it as it squeaked into the goal for a 2-1 lead.
Liberty came out firing in the second stanza, but Jessica Tuggle was up to the challenge, thwarting each of the four shots on goal by the visitors and propelling the Bulldogs to their first home win of the season. The Lady Flames possessed the ball for much of the final seven minutes, but each time the squad seemed to have a breakaway, another GWU student-athlete stepped up to make a stop and punt the ball back toward midfield or into the Bulldogs' offensive third of the field, which forced Liberty to regroup and try to make another attack.
In the opening minutes of the contest, head coach Kevin Mounce's team looked as if it would take an early lead as the home team rocketed off a couple of quick shots, but each missed just wide of the goal.
Silvia Betancourt got the Lady Flames on the board in the 28th minute of play. As she dribbled the ball down the right side of the pitch and into the box, Betancourt was fouled by a GWU defender, which allowed her to take a penalty kick. Betancourt rifled the ball past Tuggle's right side and into the corner of the net for Liberty's only shot on goal in the period.
Instead of dropping their heads after being down 1-0, the Bulldogs were aggressive and began to attack the Lady Flames. Paige Regan sent a shot into the box where a Liberty defender got a piece of it with her hand, which stopped play as GWU was awarded a penalty kick just 20 seconds after the visitors' goal.
For the second time this season, Mounce elected Angie Harvey to take the kick. Harvey sent a soaring shot to the left side of the goal. Nyholt guessed right, but the leap to her right was not quick nor long enough as Harvey's shot went past the end-line, knotting the contest at 1-1 at the 28:17 mark.
For the match, Tuggle amassed seven saves to three by Nyholt. GWU out-shot the Lady Flames 15-11 in the 90-minute affair. GWU was whistled for 16 fouls as Liberty was tagged with 11.
The Bulldogs look to win their last home match of the year
Saturday as they play host to Radford at 2 p.m. It will be the last
home contest for Dara Goldstein, Angie Harvey, Kara Krueger, Kim
Scercy, Sarah Wyszynski and Cristin Yasinsac. Prior to the match,
there will be a brief ceremony honoring the seniors. The ceremony
will start at approximately 1:45 p.m.
| Box Score |
