Mountaineers Top Bulldogs 4-2 in Non-Conference Action on Saturday Night
November 01, 2009 | Men's Soccer
Boiling Springs, N.C. - In what was a special night for all associated with Gardner-Webb and the men's soccer program, as the 2009 seniors were honored prior to the match in addition to the No. 16 jersey of former Bulldog Jordan Traylor being retired during the halftime intermission, the match itself did not go the way the Bulldogs had planned, as Appalachian State defeated the Bulldogs 4-2 on what was a wet, rainy and damp Halloween Night.
The loss drops the Bulldogs to 8-6-1 overall heading into its final
regular season match next Friday night, November 6, at USC
Upstate. With the win the Mountaineers improve to 6-8-1 overall on
the season.
With the recognition of the 2009 seniors kicking off the
festivities, the Bulldogs came out of the gates roaring, as
freshman John Sargent gave the home team an early 1-0 lead in the
10th minute. With the ball in the box, a deflected ball found its
way to the left front post, where redshirt-senior Gerard Hefferon
headed the ball to an open Sargent who aimed and blasted a shot
into the back right corner for his fourth goal of the season.
However, the GWU lead did not last long, as in the 11th minute
Appalachian State's Ryan Duffy received a cross in the box in front
of the left post and snuck a goal past GWU keeper Trent Kozman to
tie the score up at 1-1, where it would stand until the halftime
intermission.
With the rain clouds forming overhead and the weather change
looming, the entire match changed in the second half on one play,
one goal.
In the 55th minute, the Mountaineers obtained possession of the
ball deep in its own third. With a Gardner-Webb defender down on
the ground, the Mountaineers took the ball from 75 yards out down
the right side line, where Antonio Harvey played a cross to fellow
teammate Tyler Regan in the box, right next to the injured Bulldog
player. Regan then beat Kozman one on one, to give the
Mountaineers the 2-1 lead.
With that goal, like the weather, the entire mood of the match
changed, as play became much more heated and physical for the
remaining 34 minutes of the match.
The Mountaineers added two more goals by way of Sean Dreybus to
pull ahead of the Bulldogs by a score of 4-1 with 22 minutes to go
in the match.
Gardner-Webb's heart shown through in the remaining 20 minutes of
the match, as the Bulldogs refused to throw in the towel and
continued to play each possession hard despite the driving
rain.
In the 74th, the determination paid off, as redshirt-freshman Jovan
Ivanovich scored on a header from just inside the left front post
to cut the Mountaineer lead to two at 4-2.
However, GWU would not score again, as the game ended with the
Mountaineers on top 4-2.
Newcomers Sargent and Ivanovich counted for the two goals, while
Hefferon added two assists. Sophomore Richie Wall also had an
assist on the Ivanovich goal.
The Bulldogs will wrap up its 2009 regular season next Friday
night, November 6th, as GWU will take on USC Upstate in the
Atlantic Sun/Big South Border Battle in Spartanburg, S.C. at 7
p.m.
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| Box Score - Appalachian State 4, Gardner-Webb 2 |
