BUIES CREEK, N.C. – The Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs were unable to start Big South Conference play a perfect 3-0 as the team fell to the Campbell Fighting Camels, 3-2, on the road Wednesday evening.

"Campbell came out from the start and put us on our heals," said head coach Mike Varga. "We were outplayed in the first half but still found a way to get a goal back before halftime which was huge. The second half was a different game. We started to find more rhythem and turned the match. We were able to equalize, and it was unfortunate that we gave away the goal that eventually beat us."

Paula Suarez Is, the reigning Big South Conference Freshman of the Week, was busy in the net early, making two saves before the 10-minute mark. She made four stops in 90 minutes brining her total to 15 in the past three matches.

Gardner-Webb (3-8-1, 2-1-0 Big South)'s Gabby Berkes put a shot on goal for the Runnin' Bulldogs in the 17th minute, but it was saved.

The next shot on goal came from Campbell's Elyssa Nowowieski in the 31st minute and found the back of the net. Nowowieski fired a strike from 25 yards out, and Suarez Is attempted to deflect the ball, but it trickled into the back of the net, giving Campbell a 1-0 lead.

The final 14 minutes of the opening half saw both teams score one goal with Zona Kinneman scoring for Campbell and Stina Kleppe putting Gardner-Webb on the board.

Campbell (5-3-2, 2-1-1 Big South) took a 2-0 lead in the 42nd minute when Kinneman headed one into the net off a corner kick for her first career goal.

Just one minute later, Kleppe cut the Fighting Camels' lead in half as she converted penalty kick prior to the intermission.

At the half, Campbell held a 2-1 lead.

It did not take long for Gardner-Webb to threaten in the final half. Ty Snell and Kylie Ameres both took shots in the 50th minute, but Snell' header was wide of the net, while Ameres' attempt at the equalizer was stopped by Natalya Marcove.

10 minutes later, Ameres' attempt to equalize was successful. The senior defender scored her first career goal with 30 minutes to play when she gathered a loose ball and stuck it in the back of the net to tie the match at two.

Kleppe (62nd minute) and Berkes (69th minute) both had looks at what would have been the go-ahead goal for Gardner-Webb, but their attempts were off target, and it was Campbell that scored the final goal of the match.

In the 71st minute, the Fighting Camels were awarded a penalty kick, which Alexa Genas converted to give Campbell the lead.

Kleppe did her best to equalize, placing shots on target in the 75th and 86th minutes respectively, but they were saved by Marcove.

Gardner-Webb's final shots from Aubrie Jackson and Ella Bianco with less than five minutes to play were both off the mark as Campbell held on for the 3-2 win.

The two squads combined to take 38 shots with Campbell holding a narrow 20-18 advantage. Each team placed seven shots on goal, but the Fighting Camels took nine corner kicks while the Runnin' Bulldogs earned only one.

The 'Dogs will continue Big South Conference play on Saturday, October 5 when they visit Charleston Southern for a 2 p.m. contest.