Eagles fly past 'Dogs, will face Chants today

From staff reports

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. -- The Winthrop men's soccer team advanced to the Big South tournament semifinals after defeating Gardner-Webb 4-3 in a penalty-kick shootout Friday at Gardner-Webb.

Winthrop will play top-seeded Coastal Carolina at 4 p.m. today.

The teams were tied at 2 after 110 minutes of action as Gardner-Webb rallied from a one-goal deficit twice, but the game was settled at the penalty spot.

Things didn't start well in the shootout as Eagles freshman Tomas Brennan's shot was saved by Andrew Robinson after Gardner-Webb made its first penalty kick.

Winthrop freshman keeper Enrique Miranda stepped up and saved the next two kicks while freshman Adam Skonicki and senior Michael Luk buried theirs to give the Eagles the advantage. The Bulldogs made the next one, and senior Matthew Skonicki kept the Eagles ahead by making his.

With the penalty shootout tied at 3 after another successful Gardner-Webb kick, junior Miquel Casajuana calmly stepped up and placed his into the low corner for the win.

“I'm not sure the best team advanced today,” Winthrop coach Rich Posipanko said. “You're always rolling the dice when a game goes to penalty shots. I really believe tomorrow will be a struggle for us with five guys injured and two possibly not able to go. We would like to thank Gardner-Webb for making it a class event with less than 24 hours notice.”

The tournament originally was scheduled to be played at High Point University, but rains from Tropical Storm Ida earlier in the week made the fields unplayable, forcing the move to Gardner-Webb's facilities.

Gardner-Webb (8-6-3) had a couple of good opportunities to get on the scoreboard in the first half, but the score was tied 0-0 after 45 minutes. The Eagles (10-5-3) managed to find the back of the net first as Matthew Skonicki scored his 12th goal of the year. Michael Luk played a perfect through ball to Adam Skonicki, who took a touch and played the ball in front of the net to Matthew Skonicki for the one-touch shot from about 8 yards out.

In the 64th minute, Gerard Hefferon tied the game at 1 after the Bulldogs were awarded a penalty kick. The tie lasted only six minutes as Adam Skonicki scored his sixth goal of the season. Skonicki collected a through ball, played it to his brother Matthew, who in return played it right back for a one-touch shot into the lower right corner.

Gardner-Webb tied the game with less than 10 minutes to go as Richie Wall took a cross from Hefferon and put a shot past Miranda from about 10 yards.

The Bulldogs finished with a 21-9 advantage of shots. Miranda made three saves, and Robinson finished with four.