HIGH POINT N.C. - The Gardner-Webb women's soccer team (4-7-4, 3-1-2 Big South) is on the road for its final away Big South Conference contest on Saturday night, taking on High Point (2-9-3, 2-3-1 Big South) in a crucial league match-up

GAME INFORMATION
Game 16: Gardner-Webb (4-7-3, 3-1-2 Big South) at High Point (2-9-3, 2-3-1 Big South)
Location: Vert Stadium - High Point, N.C.
Stream: ESPN Plus
Kickoff: 4:00 pm
Most Recent Meeting: 2024 - Gardner-Webb 1, High Point 1
Series History: High Point leads 12-4-6

SERIES NOTES

• High Point leads the all-time series 12-4-6 and is unbeaten in the last five meetings
• GWU and HPU have drawn each of its last two match-ups, a 1-1 draw in Boiling Springs in 2023 and a 1-1 draw at High Point last October
• Gardner-Webb has one win against High Point in the Big South era, a 1-0 win over the Panthers in rhe 2019 Big South Tournament semifinals
• The Runnin' Bulldogs enter Saturday afternoon's match in search of its first ever win at High Point, previously 0-5-4

GARDNER-WEBB NOTES

• The Runnin' Bulldogs scored a 1-0 win on the road at USC Upstate in Big South play last Saturday night, before falling 2-0 to VMI at home on Wednesday
• GWU is on a record-breaking run in Big South play, recording a program record five consecutive league shutouts, and conceding just once since league play began back in mid-September, all while picking up three 1-0 wins... at USC Upstate, at home versus Presbyterian and at home against Charleston Southern
• Gardner-Webb has 11 points through its first six Big South games, the Runnin' Bulldogs best start to a league campaign since 2022
• The Runnin' Bulldogs active five-game Big South unbeaten run is the longest for the program since 2018, when GWU went eight unbeaten with seven wins and a draw between October and November to reach the Big South Championship Game
• In addition to graduate forward Annie Slovak who has played 30 minutes off the bench in every appearance this season, Gardner-WEBB is expected to feature in rotation, junior midfielder Lily Stegall who has played over 500 minutes this season and scored a 69th minute equalizer in last season's fixture
• GWU is led by redshirt junior midfielder Peyton Bryant, who holds a team-high 1203 minutes for outfield players this season and is one of only three GWU outfield players above the 1000 minute mark
• Senior goalkeeper Savannah Dixon is the active Big South Defensive Player of the Week, having started every game in goal for the Runnin' Bulldogs, totaling 1321 minutes, 85 saves, and five straight shutouts in the Big South, including a career-high 11 saves in the win at USC Upstate
• The Runnin' Bulldogs shutout streak, with Dixon in goal for it's entirety, reached 541 minutes before coming to a halt in the second half against VMI on Wednesday afternoon
• Gardner-Webb has also seen significant defensive contributions from freshman defender Sarah Birchall, who started each of the Dawgs last eight games in a row before VMI and has averaged over 65 minutes per game during that span. Gardner-Webb hasn't conceded a goal with Birchall on the pitch since September 11th
• On the attack, Gardner-Webb is led by junior forward Olivia Tribolet who has four goals, one assist and nine points through 12 games played, including the game-winner at USC Upstate on Saturday
• Freshman forward Ila Allred is the other multi-goal scorer for GWU, with two goals and four points in 15 games
• Others to make significant contributions in the team include freshman defender Noor Reslan and freshman midfielder Katie Stefanovski who have each started 10 and 13 games respectively, and freshman midfielder Bailey Pottratz who has featured in 14 games, making eight starts, including a stretch of five games in a row during September
• The VMI game featured freshman forward Ella Meccia who played a season-high 69 minutes in a start, and freshman defender Emma O'Rourke who played a season-high 37 minutes off the bench
• Joining Allred, Bryant and Dixon, are senior defender Camila Lezcano, and sophomore defender Tanner Michael who have each started and played in 14 games this season

BIG SOUTH UPDATE

• Gardner-Webb enters Saturday night's game No. 4 in the Big South standings on 11 points
• The Runnin' Bulldogs are four points above the final conference tournament spot, while also just one point behind Longwood for third place
• High Point comes into the contest in a three-way-tie for the No. 5 seed, on seven points with both Winthrop and Charleston Southern in a race for the 6-team field
• A win on Saturday could send the Runnin' Bulldogs to the Big South Tournament for the first time since 2022, and keep Gardner-Webb in line to host a first round game in early November as either the No. 3 or No. 4 seed
• The two remaining games for GWU are away to High Point on Saturday, and home against league-leading Radford next Wednesday night, October 29th