Caitlin Berry may not have started the match, but the senior played a significant role with three goals in a six-minute stretch before halftime as the No. 15-ranked Georgia Gwinnett College women's soccer team defeated Point University (Ga.) 3-0 Thursday night at the Grizzly Soccer Complex.
Berry registered the 10th hat trick in program history and the first this season for the Grizzlies.
GGC (10-2) started 10 of its 14 seniors in the match, improved to 6-0 against in-state opponents this season and won its fourth straight match – the third by shutout.
After entering the match as a reserve, Berry's first goal came on a rebound after a shot attempt from fellow senior
Nicole Rodriguez in the 29th minute. Two minutes later Berry scored an unassisted goal and she capped the productive night by finding the back of the net in the 34th minute after taking another pass from Rodriguez.
The Grizzlies collected 12 of their 21 shots in the first half. The team also had five corner kicks in the match.
Junior goalkeeper
Elisa Randel made three saves in 56 minutes of action. Then, classmate
Sophie Hoare came in to preserve the team's ninth shutout over the final 34 minutes.
Coach's Corner
"I was hoping that Caitlin would get back to scoring goals. It was a good breakout night for her. We wanted to get a lot of players some playing time tonight because we're playing a team on Saturday that works harder than any team I have seen this year. I wanted to keep our players' legs fresh going into that game," said
Dr. Mike Giuliano.
Turning Point
Senior
Caitlin Berry scored three times in a six-minute span before halftime. She came off the bench and immediately made an impact for the hosts. Berry followed up an initial shot attempt from senior
Nicole Rodriguez for a goal in the 29th minute. Then, she added an unassisted goal in the 31st minute. Berry capped her strong offensive performance with a scoring shot from inside the 18-yard box in the 34th minute.
Goals
29' –
Caitlin Berry, GGC (
Nicole Rodriguez)
31' –
Caitlin Berry, GGC (
Amanda Yarger)
34' –
Caitlin Berry, GGC (
Nicole Rodriguez)
Inside The Numbers
- GGC had a 21-to-4 shot advantage, including 11 shots on goal in the victory
- Senior Kimmy Angelone attempted a match-high four shots and hit the crossbar with one of those shots in the second half
- Twenty-two players saw game action for the Grizzlies
- Nine of GGC's 10 wins have come by shutout
News & Notes
- GGC is now 10-2 on the season; Point drops to 5-6-1 in 2018
- The Grizzlies are ranked No. 15 in this week's NAIA Top 25 poll
- Georgia Gwinnett College is 6-0 against Georgia-based opponents this fall
- GGC leads the all-time series history between the two programs at 4-0-1
Up Next
Georgia Gwinnett College travels to the University of Cumberlands on Saturday, Oct. 13, at 5 p.m. in Williamsburg, Ky.
