BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Gardner-Webb's Talen Francis provided a heroic buzzer-beater goal to give the Runnin' Bulldogs a 12-11 win over Presbyterian. The match counted towards the teams' overall record, but not their Big South Conference record.
 
Presbyterian scored five unanswered goals in the last eleven minutes to tie the game at 11 each, the last off a goal by PC's Sarah Marshall with 45 seconds remaining. Jessica Vetter won the draw control, and after pushing a shot wide, Francis had the ball in her stick and buried the game-winner as the clock hit all 0s.
 
The Blue Hose were the first to score on the day, getting to an early 2-0 lead. Shortly after, Gardner-Webb had four scores within three minutes and twenty seconds to have an early 4-2 lead. Brittany Sherrod tallied two of these goals, scoring both unassisted.
 
After both teams traded goals, the score stood at 5-5, before Hannah Smith and Ciarra Ashworth each scored to give the 'Dogs a 7-5 advantage going into halftime.
 
To open the second half, Gardner-Webb racked up four of the next six goals scored to have an 11-6 lead with 14 minutes remaining. 
 
After PC scored the next five, with five different goal scorers, Francis scored the game-winner as time expired.
 
Francis led the team with four goals. Eilish Gately and Sherrod each had two. Hailey Maranto, Vetter, Smith, and Ashworth tallied one apiece. Gardner-Webb converted 4 of their six free-position shots into goals.
 
Tori Birks, Sherrod, and Smith each dished an assist on the day.
 
Gardner-Webb finished the day with 17 groundballs. Janice Donaldson and Francis were first on the team with three each. Kathleen Mackey, Heather Lobas, and Maddie Martin finished with two groundballs apiece. Birks, Gately, Vetter, Ashworth, and Jayla Middlebrooks had one each.
 
The 'Dogs caused seven of the 16 turnovers. Francis also had the team lead with three, and Donaldson finished with the day with two. Lobas and Martin each caused one.
 
Martin, Vetter, and Smith each contributed four draw controls to the team total of 13. Francis also had a draw control.
 
Gardner-Webb concludes their home schedule on April 10 at 1:00 p.m. with Senior Day against Campbell (2-1) before their three-match road trip to conclude the year.