University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
6-10-1, 5-4-0
Longwood
7-7-4, 6-2-2
Boyd, Gardner lift Bulldogs to 2-1 win on Senior Day
10.23.2021 | Women's Soccer
Asheville tops Longwood in league match
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The UNC Asheville women's soccer team hosted Longwood on Saturday for senior day, handing the Lancers just their second conference loss of the season with a 2-1 victory.
Taylor Gardner and Kaiya Boyd both buried shots in the first half and Courtney O'Malley collected four saves as UNC Asheville kept its postseason hopes alive.
Tournament Aspirations
With the win, Asheville improves to 6-10-1 overall and are 5-4 in conference play, giving them the most conference wins since 2006. The victory also gave the Bulldogs 15 points with one league game remaining. Asheville is currently battling it out for either the No. 5 of No. 6 spot with Charleston Southern (L, 0-2) and Gardner-Webb (L, 0-2), but are very much alive to this point. To view the most up-to-date Big South standings, click here.
"I'm not sure what people expected after being last this past spring," said head coach Andy McNab of being in a position to make the Big South tournament. "But we just presented it to the girls as hey, let's go get it. Let's attack and the last two games have been the performances of a team that's together, and it shows with the results."
The Game at a Glance
- Boyd, Gardner score for second straight game
- O'Malley picks up five saves, fifth win of season
- Asheville wins three straight for first time since 2015
- Five wins in Big South play are the most since 2006
How it Happened
The goals came quick, as Gillian Oyos played a long through ball to Gardner who scored for her third straight game, giving her six scores for the season. The advantage was short-lived, with the Lancers evening the match just a few minutes later. In the 28th, it was Madison Carter who played a through ball up the middle, this time with Boyd finishing to make the score 2-1.
"They give us an element of speed up top," McNab said of Gardner and Boyd. "It was a great first-time strike from Taylor and Kaiya took advantage of the opportunity. Tonight she was clinical with the finish."
Longwood registered the first chance of the second, but O'Malley was there for the answer. With 20 minutes to play, the Lancers swung a ball in but O'Malley was there to snag it away and cut down the chance. Both teams were knocking on the door of another goal, each working the ball deep into the opposition's box. With just under six minutes to play, Gardner broke free and ripped a left-footed shot, but Mary Kate Levush tipped the ball over the crossbar to keep the score 2-1. Moments later, Longwood nearly equalized but Grace Sloan made a great recovery and blocked the chance, as time expired for the Bulldog win.
Honoring the Seniors
"The biggest thing for me is just all the time and effort these seniors have put into this program," McNab said. "They've sacrificed a lot with their commitment, and we are so proud of them."
What's Next
The Bulldogs wrap up the regular season at Greenwood on Tuesday, hosting High Point at 4:00 p.m.
Team Stats
Taylor Gardner (6)
Assisted By: Gillian Oyos
GOAL by AVL Gardner, Taylor Assist by Oyos, Gillian.
02:13
Danielle Toone (5)
GOAL by LWU Toone, Danielle.
08:29
Kaiya Boyd (3)
Assisted By: Madison Carter
GOAL by AVL Boyd, Kaiya Assist by Carter, Madison.
27:24
