BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The 2006 Gardner-Webb men’s soccer team continues to make history this season, as they advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament, tying with the UAB Blazers 1-1, and advancing in a 3-1 shootout.

 

The Bulldogs showed no signs of nervousness, as the ‘Dogs came out on queue, controlling the ball and breaking through the UAB defense in the third minute of the match.

 

Sophomore Miguel Pinzone chased down a loose ball 25 yards out in the center of the field. Pinzone then found a cutting Chris Salvaggione in front of the left front post, who then made a one touch pass to a cutting Richard Godfrey in front of the net who put a shot into the back of the net giving the ‘Dogs an early 1-0 lead.

 

The Blazers’ Lukasz Kwapisz tried to tie the score up in both the 10th minute and the 15th minute, as his first shot was stopped by GWU’s keeper Tyler Kettering.  Kwapisz’s second shot was taken just outside the right post, but he knocked the ball into the side of the goal and out of bounds.

 

UAB continued to put pressure on the GWU defense and again looked for the game tying goal as in the 13th minute Trey Gregory shot at open net with Kettering drawn out of the play, just putting it wide of the goal.

 

Kettering corralled a great UAB shot right in front of the net by Jerson Monteiro at the 19:45 mark maintaining the 1-0 lead for the Bulldogs.

 

The Blazers would then outshoot the Bulldogs 5-1 over the next six minute span, with Kettering making a diving-fingertip save of a wide-open Kwapisz shot from 10 yards out.

 

With 5:11 minutes remaining in the first period, Blazers found the back of the net as Shane Elsner put a header off a cross into the back of the net past a diving Kettering to knot the score up at 1-1.

 

The score would stay 1-1 going into the half, as the Bulldogs were out shot by the Blazers 12-3 for the first period, while keeper Tyler Kettering had four stops for the half.

 

The teams would trade one shot apiece in the opening five minutes of the second period as play begin to slow down, with Carlton Hughes taking the shot for the ‘Dogs and keeper Kettering making a routine save on the UAB shot.

 

In the 54th minute UAB’s Kwapisz had a breakaway on the left side of the field and took a shot, which was deflected by a diving Kettering sending the ball back to Kwapisz who then took a shot wide and off frame.

 

A little under a minute later, the ‘Dogs Pinzone tried to give the visitors the lead putting a laser shot on frame some 20 yards out and into the waiting arms of UAB’s keeper Wes Johnson.

 

With the teams trading shots back and forth, Kwapisz got a ball behind the GWU defense and put a shot from the left of the box into the box, only to have it batted away by a diving Kettering in the 72nd minute.

 

Pinzone again would try to put the ‘Dogs ahead as in the 75th minute he took a shot form 25 yards out and in the center of the field and into the hands of UAB’s Johnson for the save. 

 

Yet the ‘Dogs offense did not give up as less than a minute later Salvaggione made a diving play a ball put through the UAB defense, only to have his shot deflected away by a UAB defender saving a goal.

 

Kettering would pick up his eighth save of the match only seconds later making a diving stop on a UAB shot, right in front of the front left post.

 

Both teams squandered chances to capitalize in the final 10 minutes as at the end of regulation the match remained tied 1-1.

 

The first overtime period saw the ball going back and forth with neither team able to get off any good chances to score as both team combined for only two shots over the 10 minute span, with UAB recording both of those shots.

 

The second overtime period began the same way that the first extra period ended, as neither team could get off any shots. 

 

In the 104th minute, GWU keeper Kettering made a diving stop on a loose ball in front of the net, corralling the ball just before a UAB player reached it.

 

The Blazers next best shot came in the 107th minute when Elsner got away from a GWU defender on the left side, putting the shot high and wide over the net.  Less than a minute later UAB’s Gregory got a wide open header right in front of the net, which was deflected away by Kettering.

 

The ‘Dogs best chance came in the 108th minute when Carlton Hughes got open on the right side of the field and  put a open shot just high of the net, leaving the score tied at 1-1 after the second overtime period sending the games outcome into penalty kicks.

 

In the penalty kick shootout, redshirt-sophomore keeper Dane Geraci stopped three of the four Blazers shots, to help the Bulldogs advance to the second round of the NCAA tournament winning the shootout 3-1.

 

The Bulldogs three points in the shootout came by way of seniors Jamie Miller and Hughes and second-year player Salvaggione.

 

Kettering’s nine saves moved him into history once again, as he became the Atlantic Sun Conference All-Time Career Saves Leader.

 

The Bulldogs (9-7-4) will take on Clemson on Wednesday night, November 15 at 6 p.m. in Clemson, S.C.

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