GWU Men's Soccer Overmatched in Road Loss at Clemson on Tuesday Night
October 17, 2012 | Men's Soccer
Clemson, S.C. - Playing without four starters due to injuries and a red card suspension from the previous contest, including two of its top two goal scorers on the season, as well as its starting goalkeeper, the Gardner-Webb men's soccer team was overmatched by Clemson on Tuesday night, as the Tigers defeated GWU 5-0 behind Austin Savage's hat trick in non-conference action at Historic Riggs Field in Clemson, S.C.
Gardner-Webb falls to 3-10-1 overall and 1-8 in non-conference play this season with the loss, while with the win Clemson improves to 5-7-2 overall on the year.
The loss puts the Runnin' Bulldogs at 1-10-0 all-time versus the Clemson Tigers on the pitch.
The Tigers pounced on the Runnin' Bulldogs right out of the gate, as Clemson's Savage put the home team on top at 1-0 in the very first minute of play and then doubled the Tigers' lead with his second goal of the match in the sixth minute of the opening half.
The goals were Savage's fifth and sixth of the season.
GWU looked to regroup and get back into the contest, as freshman Craig Swaby fired off the Runnin' Bulldogs' first shot of the match in the ninth minute, only to have it blocked by a Clemson defender.
Clemson continued to use its speed and physicality to try to wear down the Runnin' Bulldogs, as over the next 20 minutes the Tigers were called for four fouls and two offsides.
After Gardner-Webb looked to score on a Marius Hammersmark corner kick in the 27th minute, which is how the Runnin' Bulldogs have scored its last three goals on the year, Clemson's Savage struck again with his third goal of the game in the 31st minute of play to put the Tigers on top 3-0.
Over the final 15 minutes of the opening half, the Tigers outshot Gardner-Webb 3-0, which forced senior goalkeeper Jaap Elekan to make two stops, one in the 42nd minute and another in the 43rd minute, to keep the home team from extending its lead heading into the halftime break.
The Tigers registered eight shots compared to the Runnin' Bulldogs' one over the first 45 minutes and controlled possession and the style of play for the majority of the first half.
Clemson's first shot of the second half would find the back of the net once more, as Ara Amirkhanian recorded his third goal of the season in the 48th minute to put the home team on top 4-0.
Amirkhanian would add another goal in the 58th minute, this time with an assist from Savage, to put the Tigers on top 5-0 with just over 30 minutes to play in the match.
Gardner-Webb's Elekan would make three more saves in goal, while the Runnin' Bulldogs' defense would block two more Clemson shots over the final 30 minutes of play as the Tigers outshot GWU 7-1 during that time span.
The one shot would come of the foot of sophomore midfielder Kevin Comvalius, who accounted for the Runnin' Bulldogs' first shot of the second half in the 90th minute, which was stopped by Clemson goalkeeper Chris Glodack.
Clemson outshot Gardner-Webb 19-2 for the match, including placing 11 shots on frame compared to the Runnin' Bulldogs' one. The Tigers also held an advantage in corner kicks (8-3), fouls (13-12) and in offsides (4-3).
Elekan recorded six saves on the night, as he faced 19 shots overall in his first start of the season.
Clemson's Glodack earned the win, posting one save, to improve to 4-1-0 on the year.
The loss drops Gardner-Webb to 0-3 on the year versus the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) with losses at No. 1 North Carolina (8/25), at N.C. State (9/25) and at Clemson (10/16).
Gardner-Webb will jump back into conference play on Saturday night, as the Runnin' Bulldogs will host No. 12 Coastal Carolina at 7 p.m. in Boiling Springs, N.C. Clemson will host San Diego State on Friday night, October 19th, at 7 p.m.
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| Box Score: Clemson 5, GWU 0 |
