BOILING SPRINGS, N.C.- Ali Al-Gashamy scored a goal to tie the game at one as the Gardner-Webb men's soccer team played to a 1-1 draw with Brevard in the final exhibition match of the preseason on Tuesday evening at Greene-Harbison Stadium.
Matthew Swan was solid in goal for GWU recording five saves on the evening, while Heath Turner and Jordan Alread combined to make one save for the Tornadoes.
Looking to get off to a quick start in front of the home fans, GWU earned a free-kick just over three minutes into the game, but was unable to take advantage of the opportunity as the game would remain scoreless.
Brevard answered three minutes later when Andrew Gallowitch fired a shot on goal, only to have it rejected the Swan to keep the Tornadoes off the board.
The Runnin' Bulldogs drew a foul by Brevard resulting in a free-kick 20 yards from goal. Gashamy took the free-kick for the Dogs, but was unable to convert, as his shot sailed over the cross-bar.
Gallowitch was at it again in the 20th minute firing his second shot on goal of the half towards the net, but once again Swan came up with the big save to deny the scoring opportunity for the visitors.
Gardner-Webb continued to push the attack and the attack was rewarded with a great scoring opportunity in the 31st minute that came via a corner kick. Gashamy served a gorgeous ball into the box to Jilla, who vollied it towards the net but Turner was in the right place at the right time to deny the scoring opportunity.
Brevard would break the scoreless tie in the 36th minute on a goal by Chris Efency. Effency shot the ball from 25 yards out that rolled through a group of players from both teams past Swan and into the back of the goal.
Gardner-Webb, would answer back in the 40th minute on a free-kick strike from Gashamy to knot the game at one. Gashamy put a curling ball into the box towards a group of players, but no one was able to get a deflection on the ball and it rolled into the goal to tie the game.
Both teams hunkered down defensively in the second half combining for just eight shots compared to 14 in the first period. The second half featured physical play from both teams, as the two sides combined for 14 of the 22 fouls that were committed during the entire 90 minutes.
Neither team was unable to notch a goal in the second 45 minutes as the game would end in a 1-1 draw.
Gardner-Webb returns to action this upcoming Friday (Aug. 28) when it takes the short trek down to Spartanburg, S.C. to face Wofford at 7:00 p.m.
