BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – The Wofford women's soccer team came back to dominate in a 2-1 win, bringing home their first win of the season against Gardner-Webb on Thursday night. 
 
As both teams looked to get their first win of the season, it became a clear battle to see who would strike first. The Terriers came out strong with back-to-back shots by Ellie Gower and Ines Obradovac.
 
However, the Runnin' Bulldogs were quick to answer right back with their own shots on goal that were saved by Elizabeth Navola.
 
The Terriers seemed to have the momentum going in their favor until miscommunication in the Terriers' defense caused the Runnin' Bulldogs to put themselves on the board first with 13:25 on the clock.
 
The Terriers didn't hesitate to get back on their feet, pressuring the Runnin' Bulldogs' fast offense every chance they got.
 
Freshman Julia Grier knew what the Terriers needed in that moment. In the 28th minute, Grier went for the shot, but it went wide to the top left. The Terriers and Grier didn't stop there.
 
With the Terriers down by one, Gower with the free kick tips it to Grier in the box. Grier with a header, sunk the ball in the back of the net with ease to capture her first career goal and the first goal of the season for the Terriers.
 
"I was like, 'Let's get after it.' We all worked hard. We all grinded. We all wanted that goal," Grier said. "Putting it in the back of the net was amazing but we all worked hard to get there."
 
The Terriers went into halftime in a 1-1 draw with eight shots, four being on goal. Elizabeth Navola ended the half with four saves compared to the Runnin' Bulldogs three.
 
The second half saw a much more action packed 45 minutes, with the Runnin' Bulldogs striking first with two shots on target that were swiftly turned away by Navola. Junior defender Delaney Minor struck first for the Terriers, but her shot went wide left.
 
Obradovac's quality attempts in the first half continued in the second when she shot two more times, one being on target. With both teams growing tired, many substitutions were made near the 70th minute of the game. Coming off the bench, Charlotte Simas took the opportunity to use her fresh legs to give the Terriers the energy they needed to close the game out.
 
"We've been in a scoring drought for a while now and it's just been really knocking on the door," Simas said.
 
Ansley Elizalde slipped the ball to Simas to sink it far into the net to bring her first goal of the season and the second goal of the night for the Terriers in the 71st minute.
 
In the last 20 minutes of the match, Navola and the rest of the Terriers defense held the Runnin' Bulldogs' offense to only two shots. The Terriers were able to clamp down for the final minute of action, securing their first win of the season.
 
"This group has so much character, tenacity and grit," head coach Kevin Dempsey said. "It was just going to be a matter of time. We just had to keep believing in ourselves and what we were doing."
 
The Terriers had 13 shots with six being on target. Obradovac and Gower had three shots each, while Annie Andrews, Saachi Bureau and Minor each had one shot. Navola ended her night with nine saves, a season high. The Terriers remain undefeated against Gardner-Webb, moving the series lead to 6-0-2. 
 
The Terriers are back in action on the road again this Sunday against Presbyterian College at 2 p.m., streaming on ESPN +.