SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Opening Big South Conference play and returning home for the first time off a momentous victory last weekend at South Carolina, USC Upstate men's soccer faced a physical test against Gardner-Webb Saturday at County University Soccer Stadium.
 
After feeling each other out in the first half and entering the locker room at 0-0, the action picked up in the second half as both teams scrapped for an important three points in each team's Big South opener. Ultimately, it was the Runnin' Bulldogs who broke the deadlock in the second half, pulling out the 1-0 victory.
 
Game Information
Score: Gardner-Webb 1, USC Upstate 0
Records: USC Upstate (2-5-1; 0-1-0 Big South); Gardner-Webb (2-6-0; 1-0-0 Big South)
Location: County University Soccer Stadium | Spartanburg, S.C.
 
How It Happened

• 19' – Taking a through ball from Lauritis Lillemose at the top of the box, Abel Gebrekiros earned a one-on-one opportunity with Spartan goalkeeper Luca Bulfon, turning around Bulfon and chipping a left-footed shot off the crossbar.
• 19' – Gardner-Webb got another good look inside the box as Gebrekiros offered a header on a cross from Owen Zaldivar, forcing Bulfon to make a diving save towards the right post.
• 25' – Working the counterattack, Gebrekiros fired a shot from just outside the 18-yard box, again sending Bulfon diving to his right to make another save near the post.
• 51' – Pulling the ball down off a long free kick from Bulfon following an offside call against the Runnin' Bulldogs, Mario Arrocha worked his way around the Gardner-Webb backline, firing a shot that sailed just high of the goal.
• 54' – Collecting a bounding ball off an Upstate free kick, Montero turned to fire a right-footed shot that found itself wide right.
• 78' – Off a corner kick from Samuel Catherall, Omar Boudaka fired a diving header into the goal joint in the upper 90 on the back post before Sebastian Reventlow finds the rebound and taps it in just ahead of a Spartan defender for the match-winning goal.
• 82' – Leaping to get a head on a Hayden Anderson cross, Jimmy James whipped a shot towards the left post in search of an equalizer, but fortunately for Gardner-Webb, goalkeeper Mallel Rios was there for the save.

 
Notable

• With five saves Saturday night, junior goalkeeper Luca Bulfon has pulled in five or more saves in three consecutive matches and four total matches in 2021.

 
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