Georgia Gwinnett's men's soccer team used four goals and a combined shutout in goal by Lewis Sharpe and Riley Wildeman to propel the Grizzlies to their first win of 2016, defeating Life University (Ga.) 4-0 on Saturday night.

"Tonight's win was a complete effort by the guys," stated GGC head coach Steve DeCou. "Every player saw time on the pitch and having fresh legs while also allowing others to rest really helped us stay focused, attentive, and determined."

The Grizzlies (1-0-1) dominated the offensive side of the pitch in both halves, tallying 30 total shots in the match.  In the opening frame, the Grizzlies fired off 16 attempts while finishing the second half with 14.  GGC's defense held strong throughout the contest, allowing Life (0-3) to convert just four shots on the evening.  Sharpe made one save in his 76 minutes in goal while Wildeman made two key stops in the closing minutes of the contest.

Georgia Gwinnett took a 1-0 lead into the intermission when junior Jack Gurr converted a penalty kick with five minutes remaining in the opening half.



Gurr pushed the Grizzlies' advantage to 2-0 just two minutes into the second half when he received a long ball from defender Andrew White, who was two yards in front of midfield line.  Gurr dribbled to the far left corner of the box and flipped his second goal of the contest into the far right corner of the net.

Trailing 2-0, Life's defense made a crucial error in the 60th minute as the Running Eagles committed a handball inside the 18-yard box, setting up a Grizzly penalty kick.  With one swift strike from junior forward Samuel Sampaio Gomes, the Grizzlies took the 3-0 advantage, converting the second successful GGC penalty kick attempt of the evening.

GGC added an insurance goal in the 87th minute as sophomore forward Callum Lees chipped a one-timer into the net off a cross from freshman midfielder Won Il Lee.

DeCou continued, "Early in the contest, I really thought Life was playing a solid defensive line.  Their starting keeper in the first half made several key saves that kept them in the match, but the second half we adjusted to some of the things we saw in the first half and made shots when it counted most. Overall, I'm proud of our effort tonight.  Now, we need to rest and will have two training sessions on Monday and Tuesday in preparation for Wednesday's match."

The Grizzlies are back in action on August 31 when they host Brewton-Parker (Ga.) in the two squads' first-ever meeting.  First touch is set for 5:00 p.m.

Video coverage:
http://www.grizzlyathletics.com/GDN.php

Live stat links:
http://bit.ly/2bOJcZv

Tickets for Wednesday's match are $5 for adults, $3 for youth, seniors, and military, and free for children under five.  All members of the GGC community receive free admission with their Claw Card.  Season ticket packages are also on sale for all regular season contests.  For more information on ticketing, click here. Free game day parking is available in the deck at the entrance to the GGC campus.

Scoring Summary
39:25 – (GGC) Jack Gurr (penalty kick)
47:15 – (GGC) Jack Gurr, assisted by Andrew White
59:47 – (GGC) Samuel Sampaio Gomes (penalty kick)
86:53 – (GGC) Callum Lees, assisted by Won Il Lee

 
By the Numbers
2 – Goals scored by Jack Gurr
4 – Days until the Grizzlies face Brewton-Parker
9 – Corner kicks taken by Georgia Gwinnett
18 – Shots on goal by the Grizzlies
30 – Total shots taken by GGC

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