CLEMSON, S.C. – After a day of waiting due to inclement weather, the Bulldogs finally faced off with the No. 9 ranked Clemson Tigers in their NCAA Division I second round match on Thursday afternoon at Clemson University.
Gardner-Webb’s record setting season came to an end on Thursday afternoon, as the ‘Dogs came up just short, falling to Clemson, 3-1.
The Tigers struck first when at the 11:23 mark Dane Richards was brought down in the penalty box by a GWU defender allotting the Tigers with a penalty kick. Richards then put the penalty kick past a diving Tyler Kettering into the lower left back corner of the net giving the heavily favored Tigers an early 1-0 lead.
In the 15th minute of the match, the ‘Dogs Miguel Pinzon tried to even up the score gathering in a loose ball in the center of the field 25 yards out where he put a low shot toward the goal only to be stopped by Clemson’s keeper Phil Marfuggi.
The ‘Dogs next best chance came with 7:55 remaining in the first half, when Richard Godfrey hit an open Logan Swaim on the right side of the penalty box who took a dribble and fired a shot just high of the goal.