BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Jaasiel Forde scored off a corner kick from Stina Kleppe, and her goal was all the Runnin' Bulldogs needed as Paula Suarez Is shutout the Hampton Pirates in Gardner-Webb's 1-0 victory on Saturday afternoon.
"Hampton made it really difficult for us," said head coach Mike Varga. "We gave the ball away, and Paula had to come up big a few times. In a match like this, when you're not forced to make a lot of saves early, and then you're called on, you have to be ready. They're some of the toughest matches for goalkeepers to play in, and she was up to the challenge.
Suarez Is played the full 90 minutes in goal and made five stops en route to recording her first career clean sheet.
Hampton (1-8-1, 0-1-1 Big South) placed their first shot on goal, but it was saved by Suarez Is. The Runnin' Bulldogs earned three corner kicks in the first 23 minutes, and Forde scored off the fourth.
Kleppe attempted the corner and it fond Forde on the right side of the box. She scored her first goal of the season from four yards out by placing it inside the near post from four yards out.
Gardner-Webb (3-7-1, 2-0 Big South) did not record another shot on the goal in the first half, and Paula Suarez Is kept the game scoreless with two additional stops.
After the Pirates got behind the defense in the 41st minute, Suarez Is went to the ground by the near post to collect the ball and keep the game a 1-0 score in favor of Gardner-Webb.
The 'Dogs kept the ball away from Hampton for the final four minutes of the half and took a 1-0 goal into the break.
Kleppe took three of Gardner-Webb's first four shots of the final half, but she only placed one of her first three on target.
The Runnin' Bulldogs looked to take a multi-goal with a charge in the final 15 minutes. Moryah Snipe put a shot on target in the 77th minute, and Kleppe forced the Pirates' Andrews to make two difficult saves in goal to limit Gardner-Webb to one goal.
In the 80th minute, Kleppe attempted to lob a shot over Andrews, but she made a leaping save to stop Kleppe from scoring her second goal of the week. Five minutes later, Andrews dove towards the far post to stop another attempt from Kleppe.
Gardner-Webb outshout Hampton, 16-10 and took seven corners. The Pirates went the entire match without a corner.
Suarez Is and Andrews both stopped five shots.
The Runnin' Bulldogs will return to action on Wednesday, October 2 when they travel to Campbell for a Big South Conference match.
