Photo by: © Jeff Sochko | GWUPhotos.com
Women's Soccer Readies for Big South Championship Match Tomorrow at 2 p.m.
November 03, 2018 | Women's Soccer
MATTHEWS, N.C. – On Sunday, November 4 at 2 p.m., the Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs women's soccer team will face off against the Radford Highlanders for the second time this season, but this time it's for a berth to the 2018 Women's College Cup.
How They Got There
No. 2 seed Gardner-Webb earned a spot in the Big South Conference tournament championship with a 1-0 victory over No. 6 seed USC Upstate. Jada Newton scored her 10th goal of the year in the 86th minute to send the Runnin' Bulldogs to their first championship match appearance since the 2010 season.
Top-seeded Radford cruised to a 2-0 victory over Campbell, the tournament's fourth seed. Jasmine Casarez scored both of the Highlanders' goals – one in the 10th minute and again in the 58th minute. Radford's lead was never in danger as the top seed outshot the Fighting Camels of Campbell, 24-3, including 15-2 in shots on goal.
Last Time Out
Earlier this season, the two teams met in Boiling Springs, and Maddie Turlington led the 'Dogs to a 2-1 win. The loss was Radford's only conference defeat of the season.
In that match, Turlington entered the match in the 22nd minute and scored less than two minutes later. She received a ball from Samuelle Grove and placed one past Radford's Courtenay Kaplan to put the 'Dogs in front.
Seven minutes later, Turlington added her second goal of the match. Stina Kleppe found Turlington 20 yards from the net. Turlington's attempt went through the legs of Kaplan to give Gardner-Webb a two-goal lead.
Said head coach Mike Varga of Turlington: "Maddie was fantastic. She came in and did what she's done all season, which is give us a huge spark. She changed the momentum of the game for us with a first-touch goal, and then added a second goal just minutes later."
Radford's Kayla Thomas helped the Highlanders pull within a goal in the 76th minute, but the team was unable to equalize.
Tournament History
The two teams have met just once in the Big South Conference tournament, eight years ago, with Gardner-Webb earning the 1-0 win over Radford in the quarterfinals.
Championship Match Fast Facts
The match will kickoff at 2 p.m. at the Sportsplex in Matthews, N.C. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for students.
For those unable to make it to Matthews for the match, links for live stats, as well as a video stream through ESPN+ ($) are posted on www.gwusports.com.
For more
On social media, be sure to follow @GWUwsoc and @BigSouthSports and @BigSouthGameDay for updates.
How They Got There
No. 2 seed Gardner-Webb earned a spot in the Big South Conference tournament championship with a 1-0 victory over No. 6 seed USC Upstate. Jada Newton scored her 10th goal of the year in the 86th minute to send the Runnin' Bulldogs to their first championship match appearance since the 2010 season.
Top-seeded Radford cruised to a 2-0 victory over Campbell, the tournament's fourth seed. Jasmine Casarez scored both of the Highlanders' goals – one in the 10th minute and again in the 58th minute. Radford's lead was never in danger as the top seed outshot the Fighting Camels of Campbell, 24-3, including 15-2 in shots on goal.
Last Time Out
Earlier this season, the two teams met in Boiling Springs, and Maddie Turlington led the 'Dogs to a 2-1 win. The loss was Radford's only conference defeat of the season.
In that match, Turlington entered the match in the 22nd minute and scored less than two minutes later. She received a ball from Samuelle Grove and placed one past Radford's Courtenay Kaplan to put the 'Dogs in front.
Seven minutes later, Turlington added her second goal of the match. Stina Kleppe found Turlington 20 yards from the net. Turlington's attempt went through the legs of Kaplan to give Gardner-Webb a two-goal lead.
Said head coach Mike Varga of Turlington: "Maddie was fantastic. She came in and did what she's done all season, which is give us a huge spark. She changed the momentum of the game for us with a first-touch goal, and then added a second goal just minutes later."
Radford's Kayla Thomas helped the Highlanders pull within a goal in the 76th minute, but the team was unable to equalize.
Tournament History
The two teams have met just once in the Big South Conference tournament, eight years ago, with Gardner-Webb earning the 1-0 win over Radford in the quarterfinals.
Championship Match Fast Facts
- The No. 1 or No. 2 seed has won six of the last seven championships, including the past three.
- This will be the third overall meeting between the top two seeds since 2013 but only the seventh since the conference began sponsoring women's soccer in 1993.
- History is on Gardner-Webb's side. The No. 2 seed has one five the last six head-to-head meetings (1995, 2000, 2008, 2013 and 2016) when the top seeds have met in the championship.
- If Radford wins, it will mean back-to-back championship trophies for the top-seeded team for the first time since 1996-1997.
- If Gardner-Webb wins, it will be the No. 2 seed's ninth conference title.
- Gardner-Webb is making its first championship match appearance since 2010 when it was the No. 7 seed and fell to High Point, 1-0 in overtime
- Radford is searching for its sixth Big South crown, which would tie the conference record for most women's soccer championships.
The match will kickoff at 2 p.m. at the Sportsplex in Matthews, N.C. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for students.
For those unable to make it to Matthews for the match, links for live stats, as well as a video stream through ESPN+ ($) are posted on www.gwusports.com.
For more
On social media, be sure to follow @GWUwsoc and @BigSouthSports and @BigSouthGameDay for updates.
Players Mentioned
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