GWU's Upset Bid of No. 10 Coastal Carolina Falls Short at Home on Saturday Night
October 21, 2012 | Men's Soccer
Boiling Springs, N.C. - Coastal Carolina's Pedro Ribeiro's second half goal in the 83rd minute would prove to be the difference, as the No. 10 nationally ranked Chanticleers spoiled the Runnin' Bulldogs' upset bid with a 1-0 victory over Gardner-Webb in men's' soccer action on Saturday night in Boiling Springs, N.C.
The loss drops Gardner-Webb to 3-11-1 overall and 2-3-1 in the Big South, while Coastal Carolina pushes its winning streak to 10-straight matches and improves to 13-1-2 overall and 8-0-0 in conference play.
After missing Tuesday night's match at Clemson with an injury, Gardner-Webb redshirt goalkeeper Scott Krotee made six saves on the night, yet needed seven, as Ribeiro put a rebounded ball off of a Krotee save into an open net in the 83rd minute for the lone goal of the game.
In what was a tightly called match from start to finish, as the two teams combined for 40 fouls on the night, Gardner-Webb defender Jon Ole Reinhardsen registered the first shot of the evening on a header in the 13th minute which sailed wide.
Three minutes later, Coastal Carolina's first shot attempt of the match came off the right foot of Ashton Bennett in the 16th minute, only to have it blocked out of play by a GWU defender.
Each team would then miss on a header off a corner kick over the next several minutes of play to keep the score tied up at 0-0 through 19 minutes of action.
Still looking to get on the scoreboard first, GWU's Taylor Jordan put a shot on frame in the 20th minute, only to see Coastal Carolina goalkeeper Federico Bertele make the stop on the play.
After each team had a shot blocked by the other team's defense, Gardner-Webb's best scoring chance in the first half came in the 31st minute when junior Marius Hammersmark got to a cross along the right side of the box and blasted a shot toward the goal. While Bertele appeared to be out of position, as he came off his line to attempt to intercept the cross, a Coastal Carolina defender stepped in front of the Hammersmark shot to record the team save and keep the home team off the scoreboard.
Coastal looked to take the lead in the 31st minute, as Ricky Garbanzo lined up a free kick from just outside the top of the box. The shot bounded off the wall of GWU defenders and rolled to Mikey Lightbourne who immediately fired off his own shot to no avail, as the GWU wall blocked it once again.
Neither team would post another shot over the final 10 minutes of the first half, sending the match into the halftime break knotted up at 0-0.
The nationally ranked Chanticleers, who were outshot 6-5 in the first set by the Runnin' Bulldogs, picked up its offensive intensity in the second half, as Bennett recorded three shots in the first five minutes of the second half, all of which were stopped by Krotee in goal.
Coastal Carolina's Uchenna Uzo put a shot just high of the goal in the 50th minute, while Henrik Robstad had a shot blocked in the 54th minute and Ribeiro saw a bicycle kick shot attempt on the left side of the box sail high in the 55th minute, as the Chanticleers outshot Gardner-Webb 6-0 over the first 10 minutes of the second half.
GWU started to regain possession over the next several minutes, as senior midfielder John Sargent had a shot fly wide of the goal in the 65th minute and then put one on target in the 71st minute, which was hauled in by Bertele in front of the goal.
Minutes later, in the 75th minute, GWU's best scoring chance in the second half came by way of Denzel Clarke, as the sophomore ripped a shot with his left foot from approximately 22 yards out straight on toward the goal forcing Bertele to make a diving stop to keep the home team from taking its first lead of the match.
Coastal Carolina appeared to have got on the scoreboard first in the 79th minute, as a Justin Portillo shot sneaked by a diving Krotee and hit off the front right post where Jacob Stourac headed the rebounded ball back into an empty net. However, Stourac was called for offsides' on the play, negating the goal and keeping the score tied at 0-0.
Stourac and the Chanticleers would score that go-ahead goal minutes later in the 83rd minute, as Stourac put a shot on frame forcing Krotee to make another diving save. This time, however, the blocked ball bounded back to Ribeiro who quickly put the ball into the empty net to put the Chanticleers up 1-0.
The goal was Ribeiro's first of the season, while Stourac was credited with the assist.
The Chanticleers went into stall mode over the final seven minutes of the contest, playing the ball to the corners of the field to keep it away from the Runnin' Bulldogs.
GWU would get one last shot off in the 89th minute, as Reinhardsen volleyed a loose ball toward the goal only to see it sail wide left, as the Chanticleers came away with the 1-0 road win.
Coastal Carolina held a 16-10 shots advantage and a slight 7-4 advantage in shots on goal over the Runnin' Bulldogs.
Gardner-Webb was called for 25 fouls compared to the Chanticleers 15, while Coastal was flagged for seven offside calls to the Runnin' Bulldogs one.
Krotee falls to 3-10-1 on the year, despite recording six saves in the match, while Coastal Carolina's Bertele earned the win with four saves of his own to improve to 11-1-2 on the year.
Hammersmark, Sargent, Jordan and Clarke all put a shot on goal for GWU in the match.
The loss is the Runnin' Bulldogs fifth loss this season to a nationally ranked opponent.
Gardner-Webb will return to the pitch to take on Winthrop at 7 p.m. on October 24th in Rock Hill, S.C., while No. 10 Coastal Carolina will also return to the field to take on the South Carolina Gamecocks on Wednesday night.
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| Box Score: #10 Coastal Carolina 1, GWU 0 |
