HIGH POINT, NC—The 2010 season came to a close for the men's soccer team as it fell 2-0 to third-seeded Gardner-Webb in the opening game of the Big South Conference championship, Thursday afternoon on the campus of High Point University.
The Eagles finish the season 5-12-1 overall and fall in the first round of the conference tournament since 2004 when they were upset by UNC Asheville, 2-1. Gardner-Webb improved to 8-10 and will play Friday against the winner of the Coastal Carolina/VMI game.
“I'd like to congratulate Gardner-Webb on the win,” said Winthrop head coach Rich Posipanko, who just wrapped up his 22nd season with the Eagles. “I thought it was a typical Gardner-Webb/Winthrop game and it was a game of two halves. I thought they had the better of the first half and we had the better of the second. At the end of the game they just wanted it more than we did.”
Winthrop fell behind 1-0 in the 23rd minute when Chris Davis struck in front of the goal. Richard Wall headed the ball across the front of the frame and Davis was there to redirect the ball into the net. Gardner-Webb had a couple of other chances to add another goal in the first half, but was unable to convert.
Adam Skonicki had the Eagles best opportunity in the first half off a corner kick as his header from 10 yards away went low and just left of the post.
The adjustments at halftime favored the Eagles as they came out and took over the momentum of the game. In the 57th minute, Andres Pullin cut back and hit a shot that clipped a Gardner-Webb defender and headed toward goal, only to be tipped over by Adam Garcia diving backwards. In the 68th minute, Skonicki played a pass to the middle of the field to Josh Goldstein, who took a couple of touches and ripped a half volleyball from 30 yards out that just missed the frame and nipped the post.
Winthrop continued to apply pressure offensively, but instead of tying the game it went the other direction after a giveaway in the back by the defense. Gardner-Webb took full advantage of the mistake as Davis took the ball and headed right toward goal ripping a shot on frame. The shot was turned away by Michael Flato, but Nicolas Wrobel followed up and put home the rebound with less than 15 minutes remaining in the game.
Daniel Di Biagio nearly got the Eagles on the scoreboard with just under four minutes remaining when Miquel Casajuana served a ball over the top of the defense. DiBiagio was there at the back post, but his shot back across the frame missed left.
Flato finished the game with seven saves as he faced 15 shots. Garcia finished with four saves as he faced 11 shots.
The 12 losses are the second most by a Posipanko team and the first since the 2004 team.
