GWU Men's Soccer Holds Off VMI in 2-1 Conference Road Win
October 16, 2011 | Men's Soccer
Lexington, Va. - The Gardner-Webb men's soccer team posted their third win in a row on Saturday afternoon, as the Runnin' Bulldogs scored one goal in each of the two halves of play, holding off VMI for a 2-1 road conference win at Patchin Field in Lexington, Va.
The win pushes GWU to 6-6-2 overall and 3-2 in Big South action, while the loss drops VMI to 1-12-1 overall and 1-4 in conference play.
Gardner-Webb looked to strike first in the opening minutes, as junior midfielder John Sargent tallied the first shot attempt 59 seconds into the match, which was blocked by a VMI defender, spoiling GWU's early scoring chance.
After GWU goalkeeper Scott Krotee made his first stop of the match in the seventh minute on a Matt Seinfield shot attempt, the Runnin' Bulldogs put the pressure on the VMI defense, outshooting the home team 7-1 over the next 13 minutes of play.
The Runnin' Bulldogs broke through in the 26th minute, as Jonas Nader scored his second goal of the season, playing a thru ball and blasting a shot from 15-yards out that find the back of the net just inside the left post, putting the visitors up 1-0 midway through the first half.
Neither team would score for the remainder of the first half, as both Sargent, in the 29th minute, and fellow teammate Jon Ole Reinhardsen, in the 45th minute, put shots on target, only to have VMI goalkeeper Taylor Feuerstein make two saves to keep the score at 1-0 in favor of GWU.
Gardner-Webb pushed their lead out to two in the early stages of the second half, as freshman forward Denzel Clarke notched his third goal of the year, taking advantage of a failed clearance of the ball by the Keydets and putting a shot into the lower left corner of the goal to put the Runnin' Bulldogs in front at 2-0 in the 47th minute.
VMI spoiled the GWU's shutout attempt in the 60th minute, as Stewart Wilkinson played a cross into the box to fellow teammate Ricky Siewers, who put a shot inside the lower right corner to cut the Gardner-Webb lead back to one at 2-1.
The Keydets had three chances to tie the score over the next several minutes of play, only to have the GWU defense stand strong, blocking one scoring opportunity in the 78th minute and picking up two huge saves by Krotee in goal on VMI shot attempts in both the 79th and 81st minute, keeping the Runnin' Bulldogs in front at 2-1 with less than 10 minutes to play in regulation.
A late shot attempt in the closing seconds by Sargent was hauled in by VMI's Feuerstein putting the final score at 2-1 in favor of the Runnin' Bulldogs.
For the match, GWU outshot VMI 18-12 and also held a slight advantage in both corner kicks, 5-4, and fouls, 14-10, over the Keydets.
GWU's Krotee recorded four saves in the win, recording his fifth victory of the year in goal for the Runnin' Bulldogs.
Gardner-Webb (6-6-2, 3-2 Big South) will return home for their next two matches, hosting UNC Asheville on Wednesday night, October 19th, at 7 p.m., before welcoming High Point to Boiling Springs, N.C. on Saturday, October 22nd, at 7 p.m.
VMI (1-12-1, 1-4 Big south) will return to action on Tuesday, October 18th, as the Keydets travel to Lynchburg, Va. to take on the Liberty Flames at 7 p.m.
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| Box Score: Gardner-Webb 2, VMI 1 |
