CHARLESTON, S.C. – Stina Kleppe's goal with 11:19 to go proved to be all the Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs needed to get back in the win column as they earned a 1-0 win over the Charleston Southern Bucs on Saturday.

"Charleston Southern has been a tough match for us over the last few years," said head coach Mike Varga. "Today wasn't any different. I was pleased with our defending, and we were a bit fortunate with how we scored, but we were creating chances in the second half. It is always tough to get points on the road, and I am proud of how we were able to grind a game out on the road and come away with a win."

Kleppe leads Gardner-Webb with eight goals and is tied for the team lead with four assists. Her 20 points is tops among all Runnin' Bulldogs, and she has scored in four of Gardner-Webb's past five matches.

The Runnin' Bulldogs (4-8-1, 3-1-0 Big South) placed four of their eight shots on goal in the first period, but it still was not enough to net a goal and enter the intermission with a lead over the Charleston Southern Bucs.

Kleppe had the first shot on the cage for the Runnin' Bulldogs in the 32^nd minute. In the 36^th minute, Moryah Snype followed with a shot to an identical spot, but it was saved by Charleston Southern's Jazmin Gonzalez before it entered the lower left corner of the net. In the 40^th minute, Alli Varga sent a ball towards the upper 90, which was saved.

Charleston Southern (3-7-2, 0-3-2 Big South) took five shots in the first half, but placed only two on goal. Both were saved by the reigning Big South Freshman of the Week, Paula Suarez Is. Suarez Is stopped shots in the 23^rd and 32^nd minutes respectively.

One last attempt by Kleppe to send Gardner-Webb to the half with a one-goal lead wound up in the hands of Gonzalez with 17 seconds left, which preserved the scoreless tie after 45 minutes.

In the second half, the 'Dogs placed three of their first four shots on target within 15 minutes of play, but all the attempts were stopped by Gonazlez.

In the 74^th minute, Ty Snell fired a shot wide of the net, and the Bucs gained possession, as Zari Hayes took Charleston Southern's lone attempt of the second half. In the 77^th minute, she nearly converted but the attempt hit of the crossbar.

When Gardner-Webb regained possession, Kleppe put Gardner-Webb on the scoreboard with her team-best eighth goal of the season.

The Runnin' Bulldogs' back line held strong over the final 11 minutes and did not allow the Bucs to record a shot. Suarez Is was strong in goal with two saves, while Gonzlaez stopped seven shots and allowed one goal in 90 minutes.

Gardner-Webb outshot 17-6 with Kleppe's seven shots leading the charge. Eight different players took shots for the Runnin' Bullodgs, but Maddie Turlingon was the only other player with multiple shots. The 'Dogs placed eight attempts on goal, while CSU was just 2-for-6 in shots on target.

Gardner-Webb will return to action on Wednesday, October 9 when they host High Point at 7 p.m. All the action can be seen live on ESPN+.