The 2016 season came to a close on Saturday for the No. 24 Georgia Gwinnett men's soccer team as the Grizzlies were edged by No. 13 Thomas (Ga.) in a 3-2 overtime thriller in the NAIA Men's Soccer National Championship's Opening Round.

Both Georgia Gwinnett (13-4-3) and Thomas (15-2-2) netted a goal in each half, but it was TU's goal by Jarrod Ingram with 44 seconds left in overtime that would be the difference in the match.

"Today was simply a great example of tournament soccer," stated GGC head coach Steve DeCou.  "We fought extremely hard and battled during each possession, giving up no inch for momentum.  While I'm gutted with the outcome, you can't be more proud of the battle, heart, and determination our boys displayed today.   I can't express my love and appreciation for our seniors and look forward to the opportunity of getting back at it this spring to prepare for another run next fall.  Our guys coming back next season will learn to hate the pain of losing, use it as fuel and motivation, and carry today's experience into what I hope is another championship contending group in 2017."



The Night Hawks struck first in the 13th minute when a deflected shot attempt by Ingram was rebounded by Gavin Rochford-Smith and pushed into the lower left corner of the net, lifting Thomas to the 1-0 advantage. 

Just three minutes later, Jack Gurr evened the match at 1-1 with a 25-yard rocket from the right side of the pitch.  With the goal, Gurr tied teammate Samuel Sampaio Gomes for the most goals scored (9) in 2016.  Gurr finished the 2016 season as GGC's points leader, accumulating 28 points in 20 matches.

While each side traded touches and multiple shots over the next 30 minutes leading into the intermission, none landed on frame keeping the match knotted at 1-1 at the half.

After trading multiple possessions during the first 30 minutes of the second half, a GGC foul from 30 yards out set up a Night Hawk free kick that defender Antonio Rodriguez placed into the upper left corner of the goal to give TU the 2-1 lead.

The Grizzlies refused to go down without a fight and maintained possession in TU territory for the majority of the remaining minutes of regulation. GGC continued to press on offense forcing a TU foul that set up a free kick from 25 yards outside the box.

As if it was déjà vu from the Association of Independent Institutions Championship match, Gurr placed a chip shot through the box, allowing senior midfielder Matti Puranen to sweep through Thomas' back line and land the match's equalizer with just 32 seconds left in regulation.

The strike forced overtime for the fifth time in 2016 for the Grizzlies, sending the match into a Golden Goal scenario.

With 44 seconds left in the 10-minute overtime period, Ingram dribbled his way past two Grizzly defenders and lifted the game-winning goal into the upper right-hand corner of the net, handing Thomas the 3-2 victory and a spot at the NAIA Men's Soccer National Championship Final Site in Delray Beach, Fla., Nov. 28-Dec. 3.

The Grizzlies' season ends with 13 victories.  DeCou's side tallied 40 goals in 20 matches, allowed just 19 scores by opponents, and captured the A.I.I. championship for the third time in the program's five-year history.

Photo Gallery

Scoring Summary
12:30 – (TU) Gavin Rochford-Smith, assisted by Jarrod Ingram
15:40 – (GGC) Jack Gurr (unassisted)
76:20 – (TU) Antonio Rodriguez (unassisted)
89:28 – (GGC) Matti Puranen, assisted by Jack Gurr
99:16 – (TU) Jarrod Ingram (unassisted)

By the Numbers
4 – Shots landing on goal for GGC
6 – Saves made by GGC goalkeeper Lewis Sharpe
13 – Number of shots taken by the Grizzlies
13 – Wins by GGC in the 2016 season
35 – Combined shots taken in the match by GGC and Thomas
40 – Goals scored by the Grizzlies in the 2016 season

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