SECOND-HALF OUTBURST IGNITES MEN’S SOCCER TO 6-1 VICTORY AT GARDNER-WEBB

BOX SCORE BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – A five-goal onslaught in the second half propelled the Radford men's soccer team to a 6-1 triumph over Gardner-Webb on the pitch of Greene-Harbison Field Saturday night, keeping the Highlanders unbeaten in Big South play.

Chel Ho Park Kim, Bernardo Ulmo, Ramzi Dridi, and Joe Mayer provided the scoring for the visitors. The six goals are the most under head coach Marc Reeves and the most since a 6-2 win over Howard on Sept. 16, 1995. The win also marks the first in the series with Gardner-Webb (0-8-1, 0-1-1 Big South) since Sept. 14, 2007.

"We played very well tonight and got excellent performances from pretty much everyone who played,” Reeves said. “This is a hard place to play and I believe GWU is a team that has played a very tough schedule, but will do well in conference this year."

RU (4-2-3, 2-0-0 Big South) was on the offensive early, taking four shots in the first ten minutes. In the 37th minute, Lucas Diniz blasted a shot that deflected to a wide-open Park Kim, who buried the Diniz offering in the lower-right corner for the 1-0 lead.

Park Kim's goal was the difference in the first 45 minutes as Radford went into halftime out-shooting the Runnin' Bulldogs, 13-0, and holding a 5-1 edge in corners.

"We were pleased with our pre-game preparation and intensity from the start of the match. We defended well as a group and shared the ball on the attacking side exceptionally well tonight.”

The visitors continued their relentless offensive surge in the second stanza. Less than five minutes into the half, Park Kim set up his team-leading third assist of the season on a nice give-and-go with Ulmo, who shot a bullet in the top-right corner of the goal. For Ulmo, it was his team-leading seventh goal of 2012.

Nearly six minutes later, Dridi connected on his first collegiate goal when he took advantage of a misplayed ball by the Runnin' Bulldog backline and found the back of the net.

In the 62nd minute, Jannik Eckenrode delivered a corner from the far side into a cluster of players. James Jordan was able to rise from the crowd and deflect it to Mayer who finished from in close for his second goal of the year to put RU ahead, 4-0.

Mayer struck for his second tally of the contest less than a minute later when Stephen Hudgens sparked a counter attack by sending a ball over the GWU defense. Mayer finished 1v1 against the Runnin' Bulldog goalkeeper for the 5-0 advantage.

Dridi found the scoring column yet again in the 79th minute when the sophomore put away a breakaway goal set up by Mayer, which put the Highlanders ahead, 6-0.

Taylor Jordan prevented the clean sheet when he connected on an unassisted goal from the right side of the box in the 88th minute for the hosts.

Ryan Taylor charted the win for Radford, playing all 90 minutes in goal and making three saves. Scott Krotee absorbed the loss for Gardner-Webb, finishing with six saves. RU out-shot the Runnin' Bulldogs, 21-6, and claimed the corner battle, 6-3.

“We must continue to improve as a group, but what is pleasing is we have increased our depth and competition in all positions."

The Highlanders remain on the road for a Big South tilt with Longwood on Wednesday. The intra-state clash is slated for 7:00 p.m. on the pitch of the Athletics Complex in Farmville.

Print Friendly Version