BOILING SPRINGS, N.C.- Samantha Burch scored the game-winner for Elon in the 106th minute, to lift the Phoenix to a 2-1 victory over the Gardner-Webb women's soccer team in the final non-conference match of the season on Friday evening at Greene-Harbison Stadium.
The loss for Gardner-Webb was the first home match the Runnin' Bulldogs have dropped all season, as they entered Friday's match with a 3-0-2 record.
"I was dissapointed with our play in the first half and I know the team was as well. I challenged them to compete in the second half and they rose to the challenge," remarked Gardner-Webb head women's soccer coach Mike Varga. "We had a chance to finish the game in the minute prior to the final goal and didn't get the bounce."
The goal for the Runnin' Bulldogs was just the fourth goal Elon has given up all season, as they were ranked 18th in the country in the latest NCAA division I statistics rankings with a 0.41 GAA.
Elon held a slight 13-11 advantage in shot attempts and managed nine corner kicks compared to just three for the Runnin' Bulldogs. Mel Insley led the Phoenix attack with three shots and put one of those shots on goal, while Tara Woelfel and Shelby Hooe each totaled three shots apiece for GWU.
Despite totaling 11 shots for the game, Elon was able to stifle the Gardner-Webb offense holding the home team to just two shots on goal, its lowest attempts so far this season.
"Elon plays a different style than most teams we see, and we were up to the challenge, but came up slightly short."
Just over five minutes into the match, Elon passed the ball into space right at the top of the 18-yard box, which Keely Brown sprinted out towards the ball and was called for a foul, as the GWU goalkeeper collided with the Elon forward resulting in a free kick. Insley took the free kick for the Phoenix, but her attempt sailed over the cross-bar and the game remained tied at zero.
Tori Baliatico gave Elon a 1-0 lead with a strike in the 32nd minute. Sydney Schilling gave a great pass across the penalty kick area to Baliatico, who then buried it into the open net, as the Phoenix took the 1-0 advantage into halftime.
Gardner-Webb came out with an aggressive approach in the second half and it was rewarded for its effort in the 56th minute, when Brandi Arey played a ball into Hooe, who received the pass and vollied it into the net to tie the game at one.
Each team recorded three shots in the second half and the match would head into overtime tied at one.
With just four minutes remaining in the match, Grace Bennett played a ball into Burch, who managed to get to the ball after a mad scramble in the box, and shot the ball into the upper right hand corner of the net to lift Elon to a 2-1 victory.
"I am happy with the progress we have made in the non-conference portion of our schedule and am looking forward to conference play beginning."
Gardner-Webb will rest up for the next eight days before opening conference play next Saturday when it hosts Winthrop Sept. 26 at 7:00 p.m.
