Box Score Oct. 11, 2013
Box Score
The Georgia Gwinnett women’s soccer team looked poised to tie things with 20th ranked Brenau University Friday night in the final 20 seconds before an Amanda Dale shot was cleared off the line at the last second by a Golden Tigers defender to preserve Brenau’s 2-1 victory at the Grizzly Soccer Complex in Lawrenceville.
One of the biggest crowds of the season turned out to support the Grizzlies in the nail-biter which went down as just GGC’s second loss in seven home games this season. Both have come by one goal.
The Grizzlies (8-3-1) used a first-half goal from Mary Vernetti to tie the game until Golden Tigers All-American Esther Anyanwu tallied her 18th goal of the season in the 71st minute for the eventual game-winner. Brenau improved to 9-3-1.
The two teams each tallied seven shots, two on goal.
“It was a back and forth game all night against a very athletic, aggressive team,” said GGC head coach Domenic Martelli. “It was a great crowd out there and they offered a lot of energy. I thought we were going to get the tie at the end with the chance with Amanda, but it wasn’t to be.”
Dale was also stopped by Brenau goalkeeper Tori Brown with a diving save midway through the second half, one of Brown’s three saves on the night.
Brenau opened the scoring in the 20th minute, capitalizing on a deflection in the GGC box. Jenny Knibbs found herself on the other end of a loose ball, moved in and scored for a 1-0 Brenau advantage.
The Grizzlies evened things less than five minutes later, when a charging Dale put a line drive off the crossbar, which Mary Vernetti cleaned up on the goal line for her fifth score of the year.
“We haven’t been down much at all this year,” added Martelli. “I thought we exposed them a couple of times throughout the game. We needed to be a little more patient at times, but you look at the chances we had, and (they were there).”
The loss snapped GGC’s program-best four-game winning streak.
Five of the Grizzlies’ seven home games this season have been decided by one goal while the Grizzlies’ three losses this season are by a total of just four goals.
Martelli’s squad returns to action Wednesday, Oct. 16, visiting Young Harris in a 4 p.m. start.
