ELON – Isa Murdock converted the Elon University women's soccer team's 22nd and final shot attempt Sunday night for the lone goal in the Phoenix's 1-0 victory over Gardner-Webb at Rudd Field.

Murdock scored for Elon (2-0-1) n the 86th minute, heading the ball past Gardner-Webb (0-2-1) goalkeeper Savannah Dixon after Grace Gelhaus crossed it into the box on a corner. Murdock finished the night with a game-high seven shot attempts, six of which were on target.

In net, reigning CAA Defensive Player of the Week Katie Bisgrove stopped the only two Gardner-Webb shots on goal for her second consecutive clean sheet. The Phoenix has now won nine straight non-conference matches dating back to last season.
 

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How It Happened

• Neither team found the net in a scoreless first half, but the Phoenix generated several quality scoring chances.
• Gardner-Webb attempted two of the match's first three shots before Elon took control of the contest. The Phoenix finished the first half with 11 shot attempts, six of which were on goal.
• Murdock forced Gardner-Webb goalkeeper Savannah Dixon to make four saves in the first 45 minutes, as the redshirt junior forward attempted five total shots in the first half. Dixon held Elon off the scoresheet with six first-half stops.
• The Phoenix continued to apply pressure throughout the second half. In the 48th minute, Lauren McCauley rattled a shot off the right post, and in the 56th minute, Jordan Green forced Dixon to leap for a save on a rising long-distance shot.
• Bisgrove made her own highlight reel stop in the 73rd minute, jumping to deny Gardner-Webb's Kaitlyn Huff on an attempt from inside the box with a one-handed save.
• Elon finally broke the scoreless tie in the 86th minute on a set piece opportunity. After Dixon batted a Gelhaus shot out of play, Elon's junior defender quickly set up for a corner kick. She sent the ball into the box and Murdock headed it out of the air toward the goal, and after the ball bounced off both the ground and the crossbar, it found its way into the net for the game's first tally.
• The Phoenix did not allow another shot attempt after Murdock's marker on the way to the shutout victory.

 
Notes & Numbers

• The goal was Murdock's second of the season, as she joins Gelhaus for the team lead. Her five points are also tied with Gelhaus for the most on the team.
• Murdock also scored Elon's game-winning goal against Gardner-Webb last season. She connected on that goal in the 85th minute of a 2-1 victory in Boiling Springs.
• Gelhaus notched her first assist of the season to become the sixth Elon player with at least one helper on the campaign.
• Elon outshot the Runnin' Bulldogs 22-6 on the night and finished with an 11-2 advantage in shots on goal. Murdock led the way with seven shot attempts, followed by Gelhaus (4) and McCauley (3).
• In its first two games at Rudd this season, Elon has outshot its opponents, 48-10. 
• With the clean sheet, Bisgrove now has 7.5 career shutouts. Both the sophomore's saves against the Runnin' Bulldogs came in the second half.
• Jessica Hill, Gabby Hoschek and Alexis Pierce all went the full 90 minutes for the Phoenix.
• For the first time since Sept, 2, 2024 at Wofford, the Phoenix did not face a corner kick by its opponent. 
• The win improves Elon's all-time record against Gardner-Webb to 17-0-0.
• The Phoenix is yet to concede a goal at Rudd this season following shutouts over VMI and Gardner-Webb.

 
Up Next
Elon kicks off a two-game road trip Thursday with a trip to Charlotte to face Queens. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.