Box Score Aug 23, 2013
Box Score
The Georgia Gwinnett men’s soccer team used goals off the bench from sophomore Martin Lugo and freshman Callum Mordey to edge past Thomas University (Ga.) on Friday night in Lawrenceville, 2-1, on the opening night of the 2013 season.
Mordey’s free kick effort with just seven seconds remaining in the first half proved to be the difference as the Grizzlies took a 2-0 lead into the break and held off a hard-charging Night Hawks squad for the victory.
Rowan Liburd tallied for Thomas in the 73rd minute.
The Grizzlies put just three shots on goal in the game but made two of them count in moving to 1-0 on the year on the first day of the GGC Tournament at the Grizzly Soccer Complex. Thomas, which earned votes in the NAIA Preseason Coaches’ Top 25 Poll, fell to 0-1.
Freshman goalkeeper Lewis Sharpe was called upon for one save in goal for GGC as the Grizzlies outshot the Night Hawks, 15-3.
“I was really pleased with how we stepped up to the occasion tonight,” Grizzlies head coach Steve DeCou said. “This team is deep and we needed some guys to come in off the bench and deliver and they did just that. Tonight was definitely a full team performance.”
The Grizzlies struck twice in the last eight minutes of the first half. GGC earned a corner kick as it turned up the pressure before halftime. Mordey and Lugo played in a short ball off the corner before Lugo buried a line drive into the net through heavy traffic.
Then, with under 30 seconds remaining in the half, the Grizzlies capitalized once more after drawing a foul outside the Thomas box. With the seconds ticking away towards the break, Mordey launched the free kick into the far corner of the net on a direct strike, giving GGC a 2-0 lead.
The Grizzly defense remained tight, allowing just two shots on goal throughout the night.
Liburd found space with just under 20 minutes left in the game and made it 2-1 after converting a feed from the end line.
The GGC defense rallied, stifling Thomas down the stretch in preserving the win.
Junior German Rodriguez led the Grizzlies with four shots on the night.
In the GGC Tournament opener earlier Friday, No. 5 Auburn-Montgomery raced out early and coasted to a 4-1 victory over Milligan College (Tenn.).
The teams will hit the field again Saturday as Thomas faces AUM at 5 p.m. before GGC matches up against Milligan at 7 p.m.
The live broadcast on the Grizzly Digital Network will be available for the GGC game, beginning 15 minutes prior to kickoff.
