Liberty Out-Duels Gardner-Webb, 3-1, at Greene-Harbison Field on Saturday Evening
October 19, 2013 | Women's Soccer
Boiling Springs, N.C. - Jaime Bouffard netted her second goal of the match in 56th minute to break a 1-1 tie, and Madison Kauzlarich tacked on a goal in the 86th minute for Liberty's third unanswered goal of the match in a 3-1 win over Gardner-Webb at Greene-Harbison Field on Saturday.
GWU (3-12-1, 1-7 Big South) jumped on top in the 19th minute off the foot of Brandi Arey, who scored her second goal of the season thanks to an assist from senior Meagan Reynolds (Kings Mountain, N.C.) to give the Runnin' Bulldogs a 1-0 lead in the first half.
Arey, a freshman from Huntersville, N.C., scored at a point in the match when Liberty had already tested GWU keeper Amy Schmitt with three shot attempts, including a shot on goal from Brittany Aanderud in the 8th minute, who led all players with eight total shot attempts in the match.
Arey received a thru ball from Reynolds, and was rewarded for a timely run with a one v. one breakaway opportunity against Flames keeper Holly Van Noord. Arey poked the ball past Van Noord toward the right side of the net to give the Runnin' Bulldogs the first half lead.
Liberty (11-4-1, 6-1-1 Big South) would respond, testing Schmitt (Waxhaw, N.C.) with shots on frame in the 21st and 22nd minutes off of shots from Alanna Dunkle and Aanderud, respectively, before breaking through off the foot of Bouffard in the 29th minute.
Bouffard tied the match by chipping the ball over the Schmitt out of a scrum at the top of the box, negating GWU's early lead to tie the match at 1-1.
The Flames kept momentum, and possession, primarily on their side late in the first half, and nearly took the lead in the 44th minute when Geena Swentik got a head on the ball inside the box, but her attempt bounced off the crossbar, and Gardner-Webb's defense cleared the ball away to keep the scored knotted at 1-1 going into the break.
Liberty came out aggressively in the opening minutes of the second half, keeping possession on their side of the pitch and recording seven shot attempts in the first eight minutes after halftime to pressure the Runnin' Bulldog defense.
The last of those seven Flames shot attempt was handled by GWU thanks to a brilliant save by midfielder Shayln Poppe (Youngsville, N.C.), who reacted quickly to get a foot on a shot on goal by Rebekah Page from five yards out and keep the match tied at 1-1.
Liberty captured the momentum of the match in the 56th minute when Bouffard struck a one-timer into the back of the net off of a loose ball from twelve yards out, giving the Flames a 2-1 second half lead.
Gardner-Webb looked to get some of that momentum back, playing the ball forward to produce two shot attempts in the 61st and 62nd minutes, respectively. The former, a scoring bid from Reynolds, was blocked by a hustling Flames defense, while the latter, a line-drive shot off the foot of freshman Justine Ibarra (Puyallup, Wash.) from twenty yards out, cut through Liberty backline, but was swallowed by Van Noord between the posts.
Sophomore Shelby Hooe (Mechanicsville, Va.) produced one of the Runnin' Bulldogs' most promising scoring chances in the 76th minute, making a run down the right sideline before cutting back toward the center of the field and firing a shot toward the left post. Van Noord laid out to make the save, getting just enough of her fingertips on the ball to deflect the ball away for a corner kick.
Liberty would handle GWU's corner kick in the 76th minute, and a well-connected defensive effort in the closing minutes held the Runnin' Bulldogs to just one shot attempt the rest of the way.
In the 86th minute, Kauzlarich provided the Flames with the insurance goal, helping the visitors go up 3-1 with an 86th minute score and secure a crucial road win in Big South play.
Offensively, Arey paced the Runnin' Bulldogs, recording two shot attempts and scoring GWU's lone goal for the match. Reynolds was also productive Saturday, registering two shots and adding her fifth assist of the season.
Bouffard led Liberty with two goals to bring her season total to three goals scored.
Schmitt took the loss for Gardner-Webb in a ten-save effort. Van Noord collected the win, as well as two saves, in the match.
Prior to the match, seniors Jessica Casper, Karyn Latorre, Megan Loftin, Ele Margelos, Arielle McCarthy, Shaylyn Poppe, and Meagan Reynolds were honored for their contributions to Gardner-Webb University and its women's soccer program, both on and off the soccer pitch.
Gardner-Webb returns to the pitch for a home match versus Presbyterian on Wednesday, October 23 at 4:30 p.m.
| Box Score: Liberty 3, Gardner-Webb 1 |
