Boiling Springs, N.C. – The Gardner-Webb men’s soccer team will take on the No. 4 seeded Winthrop Eagles in the first round of the 2009 Big South Men’s Soccer Championship Tournament on Thursday afternoon at 12 p.m. in High Point, N.C.

The Bulldogs, who finished the season at 8-6-2 and 4-3-1 in conference play, drew the No. 5 seed for the tournament, its second Big South Conference tournament appearance.

The Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs and the Winthrop Eagles are no strangers, as the two teams have squared off 12 times in the two programs’ men’s soccer history.  However, Thursday afternoon’s showdown will mark the first meeting between these two teams in the Big South Men’s Soccer Championship tournament.

The last time these two teams’ did battle was back on October 3rd, as the two played to a 2-2 double-overtime draw in Boiling Springs, N.C.  Winthrop got on the board first with a goal by Michael Luke in the 40th minute to take a 1-0 lead.  However, Gardner-Webb responded with the next two goals, one by Gerard Hefferon in the 44th minute and the other from Jon Ole Reinhardsen in the 64th minute, giving the Bulldogs a 2-1 lead.  Yet a Matthew Skonicki penalty kick in the 71st minute knotted the score up at 2-2, where it would stand until the final horn sounded.

The overall series heavily favors the Winthrop Eagles, as Gardner-Webb is 1-10-1 all-time against the Eagles with the lone Bulldog win coming back in 2005.

The match on Thursday afternoon will be video streamed by the Big South Network and can be accessed by going to: www.bigsouthsports.com.

Every week throughout the 2009 men’s soccer season, the Gardner-Webb athletic media relations’ office will produce game notes featuring the upcoming contests and reviewing the previous matches.

 
Click on the pdf link below on the game notes you would like to view.

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