Box Score Box Score
BOILING SPRINGS, NC--Nick Kowalski's goal in the 11th minute proved to be the game-winner as Winthrop earned a 1-0 road victory over Gardner-Webb, Wednesday evening in Big South Conference men's soccer action.
Winthrop improves to 7-10 overall and evens its conference record to 4-4. Gardner-Webb falls to 8-7-3 on the year and 5-3-1 in the league. The loss was the first suffered at home on the year for Gardner-Webb. The Eagles now hold a 12-2-2 advantage in the series and have never lost to the Runnin' Bulldogs on the road.
“Greene-Harbison Field has always been a good place for us to play, having been fortunate to never lose on this field (against Gardner-Webb),” said Winthrop head coach
Rich Posipanko. “We also won a Big South Championship here as well. Tonight's game was a good, hard fought game. I thought Gardner-Webb was a very good team, which is well coached and organized. I felt we were fortunate to win tonight. Our lack of finishing helped keep the score close as I felt we had several chances to put the game away. I was pleased with the way the team responded after a poor showing against Coastal Carolina.”
The only goal of the game came early on as the Eagles
Andres Pullin retrieved a ball out wide, took on a Runnin' Bulldog defender beating him down the line of the 18-yard box and then crossed the ball on the ground to the back post. Kowalski was trailing the play and calmly placed a one-touch shot in the lower left corner from about 10 yards out from goal. It was the first goal of the season for Kowalski.
Both teams worked hard the first half and each got forward a lot but the most dangerous opportunity came with just under 10 minutes remaining. Gardner-Webb was on the attack and a through pass set up Chijioke Akujuobi with a one-on-one with Eagle keeper
Enrique Miranda at an angle to his left. Akujuobi took a couple of touches and tried to beat Miranda near post, but the shot was tipped wide for a corner kick.
The second half was a battle with both teams working hard and the Eagles had a couple of good chances to put the game away, but Gardner-Webb's Scott Krotee made some big saves to keep it a one-goal game. In the 53
rd minute, Pullin worked the ball toward the top of the 18-yard box and dished off the ball to
Marc Segarra, who then made a drop pass to
Josh Goldstein. Goldstein struck a shot one-time from around the top of the box and the shot was tipped over the bar by Krotee.
As the Runnin' Bulldogs pushed more players forward in an effort to tie the match, more opportunities came for the Eagles to make it a two-goal game. In the 71
st minute, Pullin created another chance as he broke free down the middle of the field and as he neared the box he faked a shot and then pushed the ball to
Akeem Matthews running on. Matthews took a couple of touches on an open look and then ripped a shot low that was saved.
A couple of minutes prior to that chance,
Tomas Brennan's through ball became a foot race won by
Sean Comer, but as Comer ran on to the ball he hit a one-touch shot from about 15 yards away that sailed over the crossbar.
The last good chance Winthrop had came in the 87
th minute as Kowalski jumped a pass at midfield and took off on a counter with numbers. Kowalski dribbled and then pushed a pass through to Comer running on and his left footed shot with a defender on him from just inside the 18-yard box was tipped over by Krotee.
Krotee finished the game with seven saves while Miranda made four saves to earn his fourth shutout of the season and eighth of his career.
Winthrop will wrap-up the regular season with a 12 p.m. match-up against Radford at home on Saturday, Nov. 5.
