Photo by: © Tim Cowie | GWUPhotos.com
Men's Soccer Looks to Build on Momentum from 2017 as New Season Begins
August 15, 2018 | Men's Soccer
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Following a 8-7-2 campaign in 2017 with an appearance in the Big South Conference tournament, head coach Tony Setzer and the Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs men's soccer team are looking to build on the momentum from last season.
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"We had a solid 2017 season and are looking to continue to make positive strides from last year," said Setzer, who enters his 31st season with the program. "We've had a good camp. Our guys have worked hard and are excited to get the season underway and compete."
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The good news for the 'Dogs is that the squad returns six of its top eight goal scorers, including Magnus Moldjord (Drammen, Norway / Drammen VGS), who was tied for first on the team with 11 goals last season. Moldjord appeared in all 17 contests with 16 starts and recorded 26 points.
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Moldjord scored a pair of goals in three matches – vs. Wofford, USC Upstate and Winthrop – all of which were victories for Gardner-Webb. He capped off his 2017 campaign by being named Second-Team All-Big South Conference and also earning on a spot on the conference's All-Academic Team.
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Junior forward Jack Hoey (Budmouth, UK / Burlington County CC) and senior midfielder Roman Eddleman (Richlands, N.C. / Richlands HS) will also help the offensive attack. The duo combined to score nine goals for the Runnin' Bulldogs last season, while each recording 12 points.
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"Having Magnus, Jack and Roman return this year is certainly a comforting feeling," Setzer said. "All three played a big role in our offensive attack last year and having a trio of veterans to lead the attack again is certainly beneficial."
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Defensively, Simen Olsen (Oslo, Norway / Bjerke VGS) will lead the charge for Gardner-Webb. Olsen was a Second-Team All-BSC selection last season, playing a season-high 1,571 minutes. The junior contributed to three shutouts on defense, including two in Big South Conference play.
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"Simen had an outstanding season last year, and we're really looking for him to continue to take strides as a player and a leader," said Setzer. "Anytime you can have someone like Simen on the team, a guy who can be counted on to play quality minutes at a high-level, it is certainly a wonderful feeling from a coaching standpoint."
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Returners David Koprowski (Columbia, S.C. / Spartanburg Methodist CC), Petter Johansen (Toensberg Norway / Wang Toppidrett Toensberg), Jonas Olsaker (Bergen, Norway / Nordahl Grieg VGS), Oskar Wang (Neshollen, Norway / Vormsund NTG Kongsvinger) and Alain Delgado (Kristiansand, Norway / Kristiansand Katedralskole Gimle) all saw significant action last season. Each of the five played over 840 minutes, led by Kowproski who logged 1,049 in 14 games.
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This season, over 20 newcomers have joined the Gardner-Webb roster, giving the 'Dogs a blend of both youth and experience. The team will also field a reserve team, allowing players the chance to see more game action and challenge their teammates and amp up the intensity in practice.
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"When you can field a reserve team, it adds competition to our practices and provides an incentive for the first team players to step up," said Setzer. "We're excited to get the season started. I can't thank assistant coaches Bradley Morrison, Ali Al-Gashamy and Dennis Puckerin enough for their hard work."
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The Runnin' Bulldogs will begin the 2018 season with pair of exhibition matches, first hosting Elon on August 16 for a 5:00 p.m. kickoff. The 'Dogs' final tune-up will take place in Columbia, SC against the South Carolina Gamecocks, on Saturday, August 18 at 7:00 p.m.
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Gardner-Webb will open its 16-game regular season with a pair of games against James Madison (Aug. 24, 7:00 p.m.) and Virginia Tech (Aug. 26, 4:00 p.m.) in the Fairfield Inn by Mariott JMU Invitational.
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The Runnin' Bulldogs' home opener will take place when the Wofford Terriers visit Boiling Springs on Friday, August 31 at 7:00 p.m., and the team will begin conference just 12 days later (September 12 at 7:00 p.m.) when it hosts USC-Upstate.
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For the latest Gardner-Webb men's soccer news, visit www.gwusports.com and follow @GWUSoccer on Twitter.
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"We had a solid 2017 season and are looking to continue to make positive strides from last year," said Setzer, who enters his 31st season with the program. "We've had a good camp. Our guys have worked hard and are excited to get the season underway and compete."
Â
The good news for the 'Dogs is that the squad returns six of its top eight goal scorers, including Magnus Moldjord (Drammen, Norway / Drammen VGS), who was tied for first on the team with 11 goals last season. Moldjord appeared in all 17 contests with 16 starts and recorded 26 points.
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Moldjord scored a pair of goals in three matches – vs. Wofford, USC Upstate and Winthrop – all of which were victories for Gardner-Webb. He capped off his 2017 campaign by being named Second-Team All-Big South Conference and also earning on a spot on the conference's All-Academic Team.
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Junior forward Jack Hoey (Budmouth, UK / Burlington County CC) and senior midfielder Roman Eddleman (Richlands, N.C. / Richlands HS) will also help the offensive attack. The duo combined to score nine goals for the Runnin' Bulldogs last season, while each recording 12 points.
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"Having Magnus, Jack and Roman return this year is certainly a comforting feeling," Setzer said. "All three played a big role in our offensive attack last year and having a trio of veterans to lead the attack again is certainly beneficial."
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Defensively, Simen Olsen (Oslo, Norway / Bjerke VGS) will lead the charge for Gardner-Webb. Olsen was a Second-Team All-BSC selection last season, playing a season-high 1,571 minutes. The junior contributed to three shutouts on defense, including two in Big South Conference play.
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"Simen had an outstanding season last year, and we're really looking for him to continue to take strides as a player and a leader," said Setzer. "Anytime you can have someone like Simen on the team, a guy who can be counted on to play quality minutes at a high-level, it is certainly a wonderful feeling from a coaching standpoint."
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Returners David Koprowski (Columbia, S.C. / Spartanburg Methodist CC), Petter Johansen (Toensberg Norway / Wang Toppidrett Toensberg), Jonas Olsaker (Bergen, Norway / Nordahl Grieg VGS), Oskar Wang (Neshollen, Norway / Vormsund NTG Kongsvinger) and Alain Delgado (Kristiansand, Norway / Kristiansand Katedralskole Gimle) all saw significant action last season. Each of the five played over 840 minutes, led by Kowproski who logged 1,049 in 14 games.
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This season, over 20 newcomers have joined the Gardner-Webb roster, giving the 'Dogs a blend of both youth and experience. The team will also field a reserve team, allowing players the chance to see more game action and challenge their teammates and amp up the intensity in practice.
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"When you can field a reserve team, it adds competition to our practices and provides an incentive for the first team players to step up," said Setzer. "We're excited to get the season started. I can't thank assistant coaches Bradley Morrison, Ali Al-Gashamy and Dennis Puckerin enough for their hard work."
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The Runnin' Bulldogs will begin the 2018 season with pair of exhibition matches, first hosting Elon on August 16 for a 5:00 p.m. kickoff. The 'Dogs' final tune-up will take place in Columbia, SC against the South Carolina Gamecocks, on Saturday, August 18 at 7:00 p.m.
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Gardner-Webb will open its 16-game regular season with a pair of games against James Madison (Aug. 24, 7:00 p.m.) and Virginia Tech (Aug. 26, 4:00 p.m.) in the Fairfield Inn by Mariott JMU Invitational.
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The Runnin' Bulldogs' home opener will take place when the Wofford Terriers visit Boiling Springs on Friday, August 31 at 7:00 p.m., and the team will begin conference just 12 days later (September 12 at 7:00 p.m.) when it hosts USC-Upstate.
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For the latest Gardner-Webb men's soccer news, visit www.gwusports.com and follow @GWUSoccer on Twitter.
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