Gardner-Webb Women's Soccer Unable to Break Through in 1-0 Home Loss to Chattanooga
September 08, 2012 | Women's Soccer
Boiling Springs, N.C. - In a rematch of last season's 3-3 double overtime thriller, the visiting Chattanooga Mocs got a goal early in the first half that would prove to be the difference as Gardner-Webb dropped a 1-0 decision at home Friday evening.
The loss moves the Runnin' Bulldogs to 0-4 early in the 2012 season.
Gardner-Webb's offensive attack, which had stalled in its previous three matches, came out firing early against the Mocs. Forward Shelby Hooe (Mechanicsville, Va.) was active early and often for GWU. The freshman first gave the Runnin' Bulldogs a threatening offensive look in the 2nd minute when she outran the Moc defense and put up a shot that went just wide on the left side of the goal.
Hooe and the Runnin' Bulldog offense continued to pressure the Chattanooga defense and keeper Lauren Thomas, garnering another scoring opportunity in the 10th minute of the first half. A ball played forward from the GWU backline found Hooe, who fired a shot from the left side that was saved by Thomas.
On the ensuing corner kick, GWU sophomore Megan Curan (Youngsville, N.C.) received the attempt from freshman Brooke Kelly (Lawrenceville, Ga.) in a crowd in front of the goal. Her shot attempt was blocked by a Chattanooga defender, deflecting to redshirt junior Karyn Latorre (Bogota, Colombia), whose header attempt went just above the crossbar and the match stayed 0-0.
The game did not remain scoreless for long, as Chattanooga got on the board in the 13th minute when the ball pinballed inside a crowded GWU box and was put into the back of the net by the Mocs' Crystal Mackezyk to give the visitors an early 1-0 lead.
A physical first half ensued, with the two squads combining for 14 fouls in the opening period of play.
Gardner-Webb continued to fight on the hot Friday evening at Greene-Harbison Field, pushing the ball forward to set a season high in first half shot attempts (7). Hooe led the way offensively with four first half shot attempts (three on goal) in Gardner-Webb's pursuit of the equalizer.
A shot by Arielle McCarthy Crum-Ewing (Oshawa, Ontario, Canada) in the 47th minute nearly tied the match, but another save by Thomas kept the Mocs in front by a 1-0 margin.
The Gardner-Webb defensive effort, backed by a four defender approach employed by head coach Kevin Mounce, kept the Runnin' Bulldogs' hopes alive despite the early 1-0 deficit. Solid play throughout from center back Addison Abee (Charlotte, N.C.) headlined the effort, as the sophomore quelled multiple threatening Chattanooga runs into GWU's defensive zone.
Heads up defense by the Runnin' Bulldogs in the 49th minute kept the deficit at one goal after the Mocs' leading scorer Becca Smith collected a deflected cross directly in front of the Gardner-Webb goal. Smith's shot attempt was blocked by freshman defender Whitley Bowman (Damascus, Md.), who was right where she needed to be to deflect Smith's strike.
The Runnin' Bulldogs kept fighting to score the equalizer, and they got a good look after a shot attempt from Curan was put on frame, but another save by Thomas kept the score 1-0 in favor of the Mocs.
McCarthy Crum-Ewing provided the Runnin' Bulldogs another scoring chance in the 57th when she played a cross from right to left into the Chattanooga box, but no one was there to receive the well-placed pass.
Hooe and GWU offense kept pressuring the Chattanooga bakcline, and the freshman got perhaps her best scoring opportunity of the match in the 70th minute when she ran down a ball just outside the Mocs' box and fired a shot from the right side that flew over the keeper's outstretched hands. The ball soared just wide on the opposite side of the goal, and the lead stayed at 1-0 for Chattanooga.
GWU keeper Amy Schmitt (Waxhaw, N.C.) made a key save in the 73rd minute, collecting a chest-high shot from outside the 18 yard line to keep the Runnin' Bulldogs within striking distance.
The Runnin' Bulldogs earned a corner kick in the 88th minute, but Kelly's corner kick was deflected away and Chattanooga was able to halt Gardner-Webb's scoring bids until the final horn sounded.
"We did a good job fighting back, and we did get better," said Coach Mounce. "It's a disappointing loss to have at home. When you're not scoring, it wears on you mentally, so we've been stressing to these young girls that they are getting better each time they play.
"They're working hard," added Coach Mounce.
Thomas (2-3-1) took the win in 90 minutes of goal time while collecting seven saves for the Mocs, while Schmitt got the loss after playing the full 90 minutes and tallying four saves.
Gardner-Webb will turn around to face USC Upstate on the road on Tuesday, September 11 at 7:00 p.m.
| Box Score: UTC 1 - GWU 0 |
