Gardner-Webb Soccer Battles to 1-1 Tie with Eastern Kentucky In Game Shortened By Lightning
September 04, 2011 | Women's Soccer
Richmond, Ky. - Gardner-Webb used a game-tying second-half goal along with a gutsy defensive performance to earn a 1-1 tie with Eastern Kentucky Sunday afternoon in a game that was called after regulation due to lightning.
Runnin' Bulldog freshman Megan Curan continued to shine in her first season at GWU, scoring her third goal in the young 2011 season in providing GWU its lone goal to secure the tie.
Eastern Kentucky (2-3-2), competing from the Ohio Valley Conference, got on top in the 5th minute when Kaylynn Brown took an assist from Devon Saini ten yards from the goal and put it over the head of GWU keeper Erika Lenns.
Gardner-Webb's defense kept them in the game after that, keeping the host team off the scoreboard for the remaining 85 minutes. The strong defensive effort was led by senior defender Tina Frost, who played all 90 minutes of the game, and Lenns, who finished the game with 5 saves on 11 Colonel shot attempts.
GWU (1-1-2) had a chance to make up the 1-0 deficit in the 11th minute, but senior Dawn Rollyson's shot attempt was deflected by Colonels' keeper Annie Wickett.
The Runnin' Bulldogs struck in an offensive flurry after halftime, as Curan's shot in the 52nd minute rebounded off the sidebar and in to knot the score at 1-1. GWU nearly struck again in the 52nd minute on a Megan Tremblay shot that hit the crossbar.
Both defenses held strong for the remainder of the second half, leaving the score still tied at 1-1 after 90 minutes. The game was called at that point due to persistent lightning in the area after a delay of over an hour.
GWU's efforts proved worthwhile, as the Runnin' Bulldogs were able to come from behind and secure a tie against an Eastern Kentucky team that has already beaten Great Lakes region #10 opponent Miami (OH), which hails from the MAC.
The Runnin' Bulldogs will return home to host the Border Classic presented by Under Armour Friday, Sep. 9-11. GWU hosts Jacksonville State on Friday at 7 p.m. and Stetson on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Greene-Harbison Field in Boiling Springs, N.C.
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