BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – For the first time in 13 years, the Gardner-Webb (11-3-3, 5-0-2) men's soccer team will make an appearance in the Big South Men's Soccer Championship Game after taking down visiting Presbyterian (6-8-2, 2-4-1) 2-0 on Sunday evening inside Greene-Harbison Stadium.
 
The Runnin' Bulldogs remained magical on their home pitch, finishing unbeaten for the season. Although Presbyterian held a slim 14-13 advantage on shots, it would be GWU that netted the lone two goals of the game.
 
Junior keeper Alan Horrocks was magnificent, reeling in six saves while collecting his fifth clean sheet of the season. Graduate forward Lucas Mauro led the Runnin' Bulldogs with three shots while adding an assist. Senior midfielder Wyand Wessels provided the game-winner before graduate forward Aden O'Hara pushed across insurance early in the second half.
 
Gardner-Webb wasted no time putting pressure on the Blue Hose defense as it earned three consecutive corner kicks in the game's first two minutes of action. However, neither opportunity proved beneficial as the game remained scoreless in the opening half.
 
It would be Presbyterian's Steven Cordova with the first real look at goal after he fired the ball towards the GWU goal in the 9^th minute, but Horrocks came up huge with a sprawling save.
 
A defensive collapse by PC set up the first goal of the contest as Mauro fed a beautiful free kick into the box while Wessels put his head on the rock and into the back of the net. The 1-0 score would remain intact heading into the halftime intermission.
 
After the first 14-plus minutes of the second half were uneventful, O'Hara added a much-needed insurance goal for the Runnin' Bulldogs after freshman defender Jalen Moore connected for a well-timed assist in the 60^th minute.
 
Presbyterian was presented golden chances in the 63^rd and 70^th minutes, but were turned away by Horrocks following a pair of key saves. Although the Runnin' Bulldogs were held to only one shot over the game's final 30 minutes, the damage had been done as GWU advanced to the finals with a gritty 2-0 win.
 
Gardner-Webb will now set its sights on No. 1 seed and No. 22 nationally-ranked High Point in the championship game. The Runnin' Bulldogs and Panthers will meet on Saturday, November 16 at 6 p.m. The 'Dawgs handed HPU its only conference loss of the season, and first since 2019, on November 1.