Box Score LAWRENCEVILLE – For the second time this season, the Georgia Gwinnett men's soccer team found itself down 3-1 in the second half, and once again, the 13th-ranked Grizzlies responded emphatically, battling all the way back to draw 4-4 with No. 23 Auburn Montgomery on Tuesday night at Grizzly Soccer Complex.
After scoring twice to tie things back up midway through the second half, a late penalty kick decision appeared to doom the Green and Gray as AUM's Yannick Fallack converted from the spot to give the visiting Warhawks a 4-3 lead with just over five minutes remaining in regulation. However, the lead would last just three minutes as Jon Conner recovered a loose ball on the edge of the AUM 18-yard box and sent it into back of the net to force overtime.
"Jon needed that," DeCou said. "He was putting himself in great places, but he hadn't scored. He was just dangerous all night running at their outside backs, and it's a credit to him and the whole team for bouncing back with a late goal under those circumstances. I'm really proud of that response, and hopefully, this is part of us improving and continuing to take steps in the right direction."
Neither side would put together many chances in the extra periods as GGC moved to 4-2-2 on the season, and AUM picked up its first draw to go to 5-1-1.
While the Grizzlies required a late surge to tie things up, the match certainly didn't start that way. GGC spent the majority of the game's opening half on the front foot, applying a lot of pressure on the Warhawk back line. After failing to convert on a number of early opportunities, it was Matti Puranen who ultimately broke the deadlock in the 28th minute, gathering a pass from Samuel Sampaio Gomes and driving it past AUM goalkeeper Filip Ahlstrom.
"We really started the match well, and we were able to sustain a lot of pressure in the first half," DeCou said. "We've been able to do that well at times to start matches, but today, the team did a really good job of not letting up for the whole half."
However, the second half would start in the opposite fashion as AUM netted three goals inside the first 16 minutes. Alan Harwell got it started in the 58th, and both Sebastian Wladyko and Yannick Fallack would follow in the 59th and 61st, respectively, to temporarily put the Warhawks in control.
Much like he did in the two-goal comeback against Southeastern earlier this season, Martin Lugo played a major role again, kick-starting the attack in the 67th with his second goal of the year. Martin Toribio delivered in fantastic fashion just two minutes later, curling a shot into the upper corner of the goal from 20 yards out to make it 3-3 and set the stage for the dramatic ending to regulation.
"Both Lugo and Toribio scored great goals for us," DeCou said. "That comeback is reflective of the character that we need to show. This team is young, and I thought we really showed how to handle some adversity and keep fighting. I'm really proud of how the team responded to those tests tonight."
The Grizzlies will return to action on Sept. 18 with a neutral site doubleheader against Middle Georgia in Macon. Kickoff for the Grizzly women's team is set for 5 p.m., and the men will follow at approximately 7:30.
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