Men's Soccer | 10/11/2016 2:16:00 PM

STATESBORO – The Georgia Southern men's soccer team returns home Wednesday night for a non-conference matchup against Gardner-Webb University. The Eagles and Bulldogs will kick off at 7 p.m. at Eagle Field in the 10^th meeting between the two programs.

MATCH SNAPSHOT 
Gardner-Webb vs. GS
Wednesday, Oct. 11   |  7 p.m. EDT   |   Eagle Field (Statesboro)
Live Stats   |  Video (GS All-Access)

SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
Georgia Southern and Gardner-Webb have met nine times on the soccer pitch prior to Wednesday night's contest with the Eagles owning an all-time series record of 5-3-1 over the Bulldogs, including a 2-1 mark at home. GS has claimed the last three meetings and has recorded a positive result in the last four games. During that stretch, the Eagles have out-scored the Bulldogs 7-3. The two teams last met in Statesboro on Sept. 1, 2013 with the Eagles earning a 2-1 victory. The Bulldogs are coached by Tony Setzer who has been at the helm of the program for 27 years. He boasts a career record of 195-322-35.

Gardner-Webb is currently 3-7 on the year, including 1-5 away from their home field located in Boiling Springs, N.C. The Bulldogs won their season-opener at Davidson but then dropped their next four games, including a 2-1 loss to Mercer and a 4-3 loss at home to Furman. The Bulldogs also fell 5-0 at seventh-ranked Clemson and have dropped their last two games.

The Bulldogs are led in scoring by senior Ali Al-Gashamy's six goals and 14 points, including a pair of assists. Behind Al-Gashamy, junior Marvin Mendy, freshman Simen Olsen and sophomore Severin Soerlie all have two goals. Soerlie is second on the team with six points as he also has added two assists. Al-Gashamy is 2-for-2 on penalty kicks this year and also leads the team with two game-winning goals. Six players have started all 10 games for Gardner-Webb and two more have played in every game. Senior Matthew Swan has started all 10 games between the pipes and has 30 saves to his credit compared to 21 goals allowed.

2016 GWU Roster
2016 GWU Schedule
2016 GWU Statistics

GEORGIA SOUTHERN NINTH IN LATEST SOUTHEAST REGION POLL
Georgia Southern enters the contest ninth in this week's National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Southeast Region poll. The Eagles are one spot ahead of rival Georgia State. Florida Gulf Coast is first in the Southeast, Charlotte is second, Kentucky third, South Carolina fourth and Sun Belt Conference foe Hartwick is fifth. Georgia Southern has defeated three teams that were ranked in the top-10 in the Southeast Region at the time, including Stetson, North Florida and Georgia State.

WILSON, FJAER AMONG NATION'S BEST IN FOUR STATISTICAL CATEGORIES
Junior forward Blake Wilson and redshirt freshman Torgeir Fjaer are both in the top-30 in several statistical categories after this past weekend's victory over Georgia State.

Wilson is now atop the Sun Belt standings in shots (33) and shots per game (3.0) and is tied for tops in the league with eight goals scored. He is also second in the league in points (17) and points per contest (1.55). He is tied for 15^th in the nation with eight goals scored, tied for 25^thwith 17 points and is 26^th in all of NCAA Division I men's soccer with 1.55 points per game.

Fjaer, who has started the last seven games in goal for the Eagles, is currently tied for 17^th in the nation and second in the Sun Belt with 5.14 saves per game.

FANS ENCOURAGED TO BRING THEIR OWN LAWN CHAIRS TO GAMES
Georgia Southern invites fans to bring their own lawn chairs to all home soccer games and sit in the grassy areas to the sides of the goals just off of the playing surface. Tents are not allowed and pets must be kept off the track and field.

GEORGIA SOUTHERN ATHLETICS TO AID LOUISIANA FLOOD RELIEF
Georgia Southern student-athletes are joining together to help raise funds for flood relief in Louisiana. GS Athletics will be asking patrons to join this effort during football, men's soccer, women's soccer and volleyball home games until Nov. 7. The money raised will be presented at the home football game against the UL Lafayette on Nov. 10.

Athleitc Director Tom Kleinlein, Georgia Southern President Jaimie Hebert and the Student Athlete Advisory Committee will be giving the donations to a UL Lafayette representative at the game.

This cause is a significant for one of the Georgia Southern student-athletes. The Sun Belt has two peer members based in Louisiana and while only one student-athlete hails from the Bayou State, she was directly affected by the disaster. The home of Taylor Thompson's grandmother was destroyed due to 4 feet of flood waters. Thompson is from Baton Rouge – one of the hardest areas hit - and is a senior on the GS women's golf team. The student-athletes at Georgia Southern find it particularly meaningful to be able to directly help someone with such a close tie to this university.

Georgia Southern student-athletes will be at each home game collecting funds. The athletes will be holding buckets located at the guest relations tents near Gate 8 and Gate 12 for football games, and at the entrance of the facilities for soccer and volleyball games. Georgia Southern is asking the fans of both teams to give generously for such an important cause. Cash or checks made out to "Georgia Southern Athletic Foundation" will be accepted. Donations can also be made at the Athletics Ticket Office on Lanier Drive during normal business hours or online at GSEagles.com.

WILSON EARNS SECOND SUN BELT CONFERENCE WEEKLY HONOR OF THE SEASON
Georgia Southern men's soccer student-athlete Blake Wilson has earned his second weekly award of the season from the Sun Belt Conference office after leading the Eagles to a 3-1 victory over Georgia State this past Saturday. The junior forward was named the SBC Offensive Student-Athlete of the Week Tuesday morning.

Saturday's victory over the Panthers was the first in Atlanta for Georgia Southern since Sept. 17, 1994. It was the Eagles' third positive result in the last four games against the in-state rivals and allowed Georgia Southern to even things up with the Panthers in the Georgia Southern – Georgia State Rivalry Series. For more information about the rivalry series, click HERE.

Wilson scored twice in the second half to lift the Eagles to the crucial 3-1 win Saturday night. He got the scoring going for the Eagles in the 70^th minute when he accepted a long ball from goalkeeper Torgeir Fjaer and easily scored on an open net. After Emil Laursen scored the game-winner just over a minute later, Wilson tacked on another insurance goal in the 87^th minute to put the Eagles comfortably ahead. It was the third game this season that Wilson has scored multiple goals, all wins for GS and all on the road.

Wilson is now atop the Sun Belt standings in shots (33) and shots per game (3.0) and is tied for tops in the league with eight goals scored. He is also second in the league in points (17) and points per contest (1.55). He is tied for 15^th in the nation with eight goals scored, tied for 25^thwith 17 points and is 26^th in all of NCAA Division I men's soccer with 1.55 points per game.

LAST TIME OUT
Junior forward Blake Wilson scored twice in the second half and sophomore defender Emil Laursen added the game-winner off a corner kick from Sander Wang to lift the Georgia Southern men's soccer team to a 3-1 win over in-state rival Georgia State Saturday night at GSU Soccer Field. The win was worth one point in the Georgia Southern-Georgia State Rivalry Series and tied the series up at 1-1.

The Panthers (7-6, 0-1 Sun Belt), who entered Saturday night ninth in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Southeast Region poll, took an early lead in the fourth minute when Hannes Burmeister scored off a penalty kick. Georgia State was able to control much of the early going, but the second half was a different matter as the Eagles (5-5-1, 1-0 Sun Belt) continued to apply pressure to Georgia State's back row.

The Eagles' tenacity finally paid off in the 70^th minute when Wilson broke free with a service from goalkeeper Torgeir Fjaer and scored on an open goal to even the score at 1-1. Less than a minute later, Laursen scored the game-winner off a corner kick from Wang. Wilson then put the icing on the cake for the Eagles as he scored his eighth goal of the season in the 87^th minute.

NEXT UP
Following Wednesday's home game against Gardner-Webb, the Eagles will hit the road for a pair of games. First up on the docket will be a trip to Conway, S.C. where Georgia Southern will battle conference newcomer Coastal Carolina on Saturday, Oct. 15. The Eagles will then travel to Clinton, S.C. to take on the Blue Hose of Presbyterian College on Tuesday, Oct. 18 before returning home for a crucial Sun Belt Conference showdown with Hartwick on Saturday, Oct. 22.


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