University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
Gardner-Webb
Women's Soccer Wins in OT, 2-1
10.28.2014 | Women's Soccer
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The biggest game for the UNC Asheville women's soccer program in eight years turned out to be one of best wins in school history.
Kennedy Garrett's goal with less than two minutes left in the second overtime period gave a determined and resilient Bulldog squad a 2-1 victory over Gardner-Webb Tuesday night at Greenwood Field.
The victory propels Asheville (10-8-1, 4-5-1 BSC) into the Big South Conference Championship as the Bulldogs will play on the road sometime this weekend in the quarterfinals of the tourney. It marks Asheville's first appearance in the league tourney in three seasons.
The pairings for the Big South Conference Championship will be announced later tonight.
The Bulldogs and Runnin' Bulldogs (8-9-2, 4-4-2 BSC) were tied at 1-1 entering overtime after a goal from Gardner-Webb's Bradi Arey in the 78th minute.
Asheville dominated both overtime periods and thought it had won the match twice, once in each overtime period, but each time the goal was wiped out. Caroline Houser scored in the 104th minute on a shot from six yards out but the goal was disallowed due to a hand ball.
In the second overtime period, Emma Houser appeared to give the Bulldogs the victory when she tapped in a ball on a free kick. But that goal was wiped out due to an offside call.
Asheville kept battling. Finally, Emma Houser found Kennedy Garrett. The junior forward connected on a shot for six yards out to give the Bulldogs a thrilling 2-1 victory. It was Garrett's third goal of the season and all have been game-winners. The goal came at 108:49.
Needing a win to get into the tournament against a red-hot Gardner-Webb squad, the Bulldogs came out and dominated play early in the game. Asheville had the four shots of the match and nearly scored midway through the opening half when Brooke Miller's shot from six yards out was stopped by GWU goalkeeper Krista Chauvin.
The Runnin' Bulldogs played well in the final 15 minutes of the first half and controlled play as they had the last final three shots of the half. Asheville had a 9-8 edge in shots in the opening half.
The Bulldogs were able to get on the scoreboard in the first minute of the second half. Senior midfield Amanda Dailor's free kick snuck into the left side of the goal for a 1-0 Asheville lead at 46:22.
Both teams took turn almost scoring after Dailor's goal. GWU had some terrific chances only to be turned away by senior goalkeeper Heather Muller of Asheville. Shelby Hooe came close in the 65th minute on a shot that appeared to be going into the top part of the game. But Muller just knocked it away.
Caroline Houser had a great chance in the 70th minute when her shot from 11 yards out was deflected away by Chauvin. Five minutes later, Emma Houser just fired wide off a free kick into a wide-open net.
The visitors tied the match at 78:32. Annie Ross fed Arey who connected on a shot from 10 yards out to knot the match at 1-1.
The victory was the Bulldogs' 10th win of the season. It clinched Asheville's first winning season since the 2006 season and marked the first time the Bulldogs have won 10 matches since that same 2006 campaign.
The victory sent its four seniors out as winners as UNC Asheville honored - Kaitlyn Eckert, Heather Muller, Amanda Dailor and Megan Foster - prior to the match.
