SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Maddie Turlington played a role in all three of Gardner-Webb's goals on rainy Saturday afternoon as the Runnin' Bulldogs topped USC Upstate, 3-2, to earn their third consecutive victory.
"We came out playing well, and Maddie scored a blistering goal," said head coach Mike Varga. "Upstate scored a nice goal to equalize, and they were eventually able to take the lead. We knew we would get their best today, and we definitely did. I was proud of our response. We answered their second goal with one of our own and got the game-winner. The conditions were difficult, but we found a way to get the win on the road.
Turlington quickly put the Runnin' Bulldogs on the board with a goal in the fourth minute. She fired a strike into the goal from the top of the box following passes from Stina Kleppe and Jada Newton.
Gardner-Webb's (7-9-1, 6-2 Big South) lead did not last long as USC Upstate equalized following Mia Raiff's corner kick in the sixth minute with Alaina McKnight scoring from inside the 18 to tie the match at one.
The Runnin' Bulldogs took seven shots over the remainder of the first half, and challenged the Spartans' Logan Pace on three occasions, but Pace stopped all Gardner-Webb's shots on goal to make it a 1-1 tie at the half.
Gardner-Webb's Katelyn Kellogg made her first stop of the afternoon in the 20th minute.
USC Upstate (2-10-3, 0-8-1 Big South) scored off Raiff's corner in the 51st minute to take a 2-1 lead. Abbie Ellis gained controlled of the ball and fired a shot past Kellogg to put the Spartans in front.
Facing a 2-1 deficit, the Runnin' Bulldogs did not panic and scored two goals in less than two minutes to re-gain the lead.
After Turlington's shot hit the crossbar, Kylie Ameres corralled the ball and netted the equalizer in the 58th minute. 119 seconds later, Turlington sent a ball to Newton who scored what would be the eventual game-winner, putting Gardner-Webb ahead, 3-2.
Over the final 33 minutes, Gardner-Webb placed six shots on target, including four in just 1:50, but Pace saved all six from entering the back of the net.
All of Kellogg's second half saves came following Newton's goal. She stopped Jada Kinlaw's attempt from the right side of the field in the 62nd minute before grabbing a header in the 71st minute and shot from inside the box three minutes later.
The 3-2 win is Gardner-Webb's three consecutive positive result, and Kellogg has been the keeper of record in all three victories. She stopped four shots in the win.
The Runnin' Bulldogs outshot the Spartans, 22-9, and 12-6 in shots on goal. Turlington caps off a stellar week where she played a part in all five of Gardner-Webb's goals in wins over the Spartans and UNC Asheville Bulldogs.
The Runnin' Bulldogs will return to action on Wednesday, October 23 when they travel to Radford for a rematch of the 2018 Big South Conference tournament championship. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
