Runnin' Bullodgs Set to Open 2019 Slate With Exhibition Against Spartanburg Methodist Tomorrow
August 16, 2019 | Men's Soccer
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – After winning four Big South matches in 2018, Tony Setzer and the Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs will begin the 2019 slate with an exhibition against Spartanburg Methodist tomorrow at 2 p.m.
Setzer knows that the 'Dogs will face a challenging set of opponents early and no Big South match is ever an easy victory.
"We were glad to be picked fifth in a conference with so many talented teams in the league," said Setzer. "There is no easy game in the Big South. When it comes to conference play, the Big South has a high standard and each team has a chance to win on any given day. This season is all about how we're going to come together and get to the new players to mesh with some of the returners."
Returning for the Runnin' Bulldogs is 2018 First-Team All-Big South selection Oskar Wang (Neshollen, Norway / Vormsund NTG Kongsvinger) who was second on last year's squad with three goals and two assists for a total of eight points. Wang scored his first goal of the year against USC Upstate and scored twice against Radford – including the game-winner in the 48th minute – as the Runnin' Bulldogs topped the Highlanders, 2-1.
Magnus Moldjord (Drammen, Norway / Drammen VGS) and Petter Johansen (Toensberg, Norway / Wang Toppidrett Toensberg) each netted two goals last season and will help anchor the Runnin' Bulldogs attack, while goal scorers Edin Hernandez (Holiday, Fla. / Palm Harbor University HS) and Alain Delgado (Kristiansand, Norway / Kristiansand Katedralskole Gimle) also return. Delgado earned the starting nod in 12 of his 13 appearances last year and played 1,000 minutes.
Defensively, the back line will be led by Simen Olsen (Oslo, Norway / Bjerke VGS), a 2018 Big South Second-Team All-Conference selection. Olsen contributed to a pair of shutouts in 2018, including one in Big South action. He played full-time in Gardner-Webb's final seven regular season matches. Olsen will help protect sophomore goalkeeper Daniel Husa (Begen, Norway / Fyllingsdalen). As a freshman, Husa appeared in 11 matches with 10 starts and made 45 stops. He finished his freshman campaign with a 4-6-0 record and one shutout.
Setzer and the rest of the men's soccer staff added nearly 30 to the roster for 2018 with 26 of them being freshman. Having such a deep roster not only allows for more depth in practice but also more intensity. In addition to the varsity squad, the Runnin' Bulldogs' reserve team will compete in a league with local colleges and universities.
"Fielding a reserve team has been beneficial to our program," said Setzer. "Any time you have this many guys on a roster, while it provides depth, it truly helps increase the intensity in practice. Everyone is constantly being pushed to get better and keep improving. It has really benefited the program to have such a variety of talented players on the roster."
As the 'Dogs ready for the first of three exhibition matches inside Greene-Harbison Stadium, Setzer is optimistic about the season and the team's ability.
"I'm optimistic (about the season)," said Setzer. "On paper I feel very good, but the game is not played on paper, it's played on grass. We'll see how well we play in non-conference matches, and coming together for conference play will be the difference this season. Our goal is to get a good seed for the tournament and then do well in it."
Tomorrow's exhibition against Spartanburg Methodist is set for 2 p.m. from Greene-Harbison Stadium with the two teams playing a two 60-minute halves. The 'Dogs will also host Young Harris (Aug. 21) and Emmanuel (Aug. 24) in exhibition play. The exhibition match against Emmanuel will be streamed live on ESPN+ with a 7 p.m. kickoff.
Gardner-Webb will begin regular season play with games at Charlotte (Aug. 30) and South Carolina (Sept. 3) before welcoming the Furman Paladins to Boiling Springs on September 6 for the home opener. The match between the 'Dogs and Paladins can also be seen on ESPN+.
