BOILING SPRINGS --- Cassidy McDowell (Cincinnati, Ohio) made a season-high 17 saves and Sadie Bryant (Charlottesville, Va.) scored three goals – including the game-winner – as Gardner-Webb picked up its first win of the season and the first for head coach Jillian Krick with a 12-11 come-from-behind victory over St. Francis on Saturday afternoon.
Gardner-Webb (1-5) rallied from several deficits throughout the game, including an 11-9 disadvantage with seven minutes left, while setting a program record for fewest goals allowed. St. Francis (1-4) outshot the Runnin' Bulldogs by a 32-21 margin and won the battle on the ground, 15-12, as Gardner-Webb controlled 16-of-24 draws and converted 10-of-12 clearing attempts.
Bryant and Amanda Steinmuller (Ellicott, Md.) each recorded a hat trick in the contest to lead the attack, as Abby Hanscom (Eden Prairie, Minn.) and Emma Rufolo (Woodstock, Md.) both added a pair of strikes. Rufolo tallied an assist and a game-high seven draw controls, while Alex Fusco (Marietta, Ga.) dished out two helpers and Monique Martin (Tyngsborough, Mass.) scooped up four ground balls.
McDowell put up a veritable brick wall between the pipes for the Runnin' Bulldogs, stopping 17 of the 28 shots she faced to earn her first career win. Martin, Lindsey Lippert (Syracuse, N.Y.) and Brooke Fernandes (Greensboro, N.C.) each caused two turnovers.
Lindsay Ingram, Christina Fini, Jessica Fischetti and Sarah Mahon each scored two goals to pace the Red Flash, as Fini scooped up a team-high three ground balls. Alex Anton recorded a team-best three draw controls while Heather McKee made seven saves.
Gardner-Webb came out firing in the first half, scoring four of the game's first five goals to take a 4-1 lead when Fusco found Hanscom for her fourth goal of the season at the 14:14 mark. The Red Flash would quickly answer with four straight strikes, rallying to snatch a 5-4 advantage through Holly Lawrence and Katie Schaaf with 2:51 to play in the opening period.
The Runnin' Bulldogs responded with three goals inside the half's final minute, striking three times in 47 seconds to head into the intermission with a 7-5 lead following Steinmuller's tally with eight seconds on the clock.
Rufolo kept up the momentum for the Runnin' Bulldogs early in the second half, striking for her first of the day two seconds into the period to push the advantage to 8-5.
St. Francis quickly answered with four straight goals to reclaim the advantage, 9-8, through Ingram's free position strike with 17:01 to play. After Bryant leveled the score 33 seconds later, the Red Flash countered with goals from Fischetti and Mahon to retake the lead, 11-9, with 7:06 left on the clock.
The Runnin' Bulldogs got one back at the 5:03 mark, halving the margin to 11-10 through Rufolo's second goal of the afternoon to stop the run. Fusco set up Austyn Gorski (Lawrenceville, Ga.) for her first collegiate strike just over one minute later, as the freshman knotted the score at 11-11 before Bryant completed her hat trick and supplied the winning goal at the 3:05 mark.
McDowell and the defense stood tall in the final three minutes, holding St. Francis without a shot to seal the victory.
Gardner-Webb returns to action on Wednesday when the Runnin' Bulldogs host Kennesaw State at 4:00 pm in Spangler Stadium.
