BOILING SPRINGS, N.C.- Sydney David's goal in the 74th minute broke a scoreless tie and lifted the Gardner-Webb women's soccer team (1-2-1) to a 1-0 victory over USC Upstate (1-2-1) in a non-conference match on Sunday evening at Greene-Harbison Stadium.
This was the second straight year that David scored the game-winner for the Runnin' Bulldogs against USC Upstate. David scored the game-winner last season in the 105th minute to lift GWU to a 1-0 victory.
Keely Brown was excellent in net once again for GWU as the freshman recorded five saves for the game to earn her first career victory and also her second straight shutout. The first year player extends her scoreless streak to 200 minutes and also lowers her goal-against-average to an impressive 0.95 for the season.
Rain was present through Sunday's match, but that did not stop the Dog's attack. Gardner-Webb continued to push the attack all evening long outshooting the Spartans 21-7 including 11-2 in the second half and generated 10 corner kicks to Upstate's one.
Ellen Bright put forth a great effort in the loss for the Spartans recording six saves in 90 minutes of action.
Gardner-Webb held much of the possession early on in the match, displaying great ball movement in both the offensive and defensive ends. The Runnin' Bulldogs continued to attack the Spartans goal early and often recording two shots and a corner kick in the opening 10 minutes of play.
The Runnin' Bulldogs had a chance to score the first goal of the match in the 9
th minute when USC Upstate tried to clear the ball from its defensive end, but the clear went right to
Bri Nagle for GWU, who passed it to
Shelby Hooe inside the box, but her attempt towards goal went just wide of the post.
Four minutes later, USC Upstate answered with a scoring chance of its own when Rachel Baylor managed to come up with the ball after a large scramble in the GWU defensive end, but Baylor's off-balance attempt went right at Brown who made the save.
Right before half, Upstate generated another great scoring opportunity when the ball was passed to Alexa Hone right outside the 18-yard box, and after a few dribbles fired a blistering shot towards the goal, but Brown dove to her right and tipped the ball just over the cross bar.
Despite outshooting USC Upstate 10-5 and holding a 3-1 advantage in corner kicks, the Runnin' Bulldogs would head into halftime all tied at zero with the Spartans.
Midway through the second half, Gardner-Webb created a quality scoring opportunity with its first shot of the second period.
Samuelle Grove dribbled the ball down the right hand side of the field towards the USC Upstate goal and laid it off for Ibarra, who put a shot on goal but Bright was able to make the save and corrale the rebound to keep the game scoreless.
The Spartans came close to scoring once again in the 66th minute whenHaley Gethin put a curling shot towards Brown, but the Runnin' Bulldog goalkeeper ranged to her left to make the save and manage to pounce on the rebound to stop the attack as Baylor was about to corrale the shot attempt.
The Runnin' Bulldogs continued offensive attack paid off with the game-winner in the 74
th minute.
Brooke Kelly chipped the ball into Hooe, who kicked the ball in the air towards David who was positioned at the back post, and David vollied it in the net for her first goal of the season.
Gardner-Webb returns to action Friday when it takes the short trek up to Charlotte to take on the 49ers at 7:00 p.m., before returning home next Sunday (Sept. 6) to host Mercer.
