Entering the 2024 season, Boston College women’s soccer and Gardner-Webb had never played against each other.
In their first ever matchup on Thursday afternoon, the Eagles (3–0) narrowly defeated the Runnin’ Bulldogs (0–2) 2–1.
Despite BC tallying 22 shots in the matchup and 13 shots on goal, the Eagles were unable to generate offensive success in the net. The Runnin’ Bulldogs had just 3 shots in the game and 3 shots on target in the game—challenging BC until the last seconds of the matchup.
In the first 34 minutes of the first half, the Eagles completed four corner kicks and 11 throw-ins, in hopes of attacking Gardner-Webb’s goal. None of these attempts ended up in the back of the Runnin’ Bulldogs net, though.
And while BC inched closer to the first goal of the match following shots from Grace Courter and Aislin Streicek, Gardner-Webb’s defense contained every Eagle’s advance.
It wasn’t until 33:56 into the first half when the Eagles broke through the wall. It was Paige Peltier who put BC on the board— her second of the season.
Receiving a long punt from Grace Courter, Sydney Segalla swiftly delivered a short pass to Peltier, who, off a right-footed-kick, tapped the ball into the bottom right corner of the Runnin’ Bulldogs’ net. Stephanie Liu had no time to react and BC took a 1–0 lead.
BC’s offense finally seemed to be heating up, but it quickly cooled off.
While BC tallied four more shots and three more corner-kicks before the whistle signaled halftime, the Eagles were unable to increase their one-goal lead.
In the final half of the matchup, BC’s scoring drought only persisted.
After a scoring drought for both squads, the Eagles finally changed the trajectory of the game and posted a two-goal lead over Gardner-Webb with 20:11 left in regulation.
Off an Ella Richards pass, Segalla utilized her speed and sprinted toward the goal, dribbling past her defender. Launching back her right foot, Segalla fired the ball into the top right of Gardner-Webb’s goal—marking her third goal in just three games.
But the Runnin’ Bulldogs were not going down without a fight. As the time ticked down on the game clock, Gardner-Webb showed no signs of slowing down.
With less than nine minutes left in the game, Gardner-Webb’s Abby Clark rebounded the ball off a n Abby Clark shot and sent it sailing past a diving Wiebke Willebrant to make it a one-goal game.
But the Eagles shut down any hopes of a late-game comeback.
Following the Runnin’ Bulldogs goal, BC took possession and maintained until the clock hit triple zeros. The ball did not leave Gardner-Webb’s half of the pitch as the Eagles tallied four back-to-back throw-ins and two shots on net in the final minutes of the game.
The Eagles comfortably capped off their third-straight win of the 2024 season, tying their win total from the entire 2023 season.
