It took a while for the No. 8-ranked Georgia Gwinnett College men's soccer team to get going, but once the Grizzlies found their stride in the second half they exploded for a 3-0 road triumph against Life University (Ga.) in the 2018 season opener Saturday evening in Marietta, Ga.
GGC (1-0) broke a scoreless match in the 51st minute on a tally from junior
Carlos Delarosa. Then, midway through the second half, the visitors found the back of the net twice in a two-minute span. Senior
Andrew White and sophomore
Myles Barber scored to give the visitors a 3-0 lead in the 71st minute. Junior
Sagi Hirsch set up both of the final two goals.
Sophomore goalkeeper
Matija Gligorovic stopped two shots on goal, including a penalty kick as the team enjoyed a 3-0 lead.
GGC improves to 6-0-1 all-time in season-opening matches. The team has allowed just one goal in those seven contests.
The victory marked the 200th career coaching triumph for Georgia Gwinnett College Head Coach
Steve DeCou. His GGC teams have posted a 79-24-11 mark in seven seasons. DeCou has been the only coach in program history.
Coaches' Corner
"The first two goals came off set pieces and things that we had been working on throughout preseason. Overall, it was a good performance. We had plenty of chances in the first half. We were very organized defensively. At halftime, we discussed being more clinical in front of the goal. The guys took it to heart. Matija made a big save on the penalty kick to keep the scoring sheet clean," said Head Coach
Steve DeCou.
Turning Point
The nationally ranked Grizzlies turned up the intensity in the second half. After scoring early in the second half to grab the lead, GGC tallied two goals in a two-minute span to take control of the match. Senior
Andrew White found the back of the net off a pass from junior
Sagi Hirsch. Then, in the 71st minute sophomore
Myles Barber converted another chance off a pass from Hirsch to give the visitors a 3-0 lead.
Goals
51' –
Carlos Delarosa (
Andrew White)
69' –
Andrew White (
Sagi Hirsch)
71' –
Myles Barber (
Sagi Hirsch)
Inside The Numbers
- GGC held a 15-8 shot advantage for the match, including a 9-4 edge in the second half
- Four players for the Grizzlies each accounted for a team-high two shots
- Sophomore goalkeeper Matija Gligorovic made two saves, including a stop on a penalty kick in the late stages of the second half.
News & Notes
- GGC improved to 1-0 on the season; Life dropped to 0-1 on the season
- The Grizzlies were ranked No. 8 in the NAIA Top 25 preseason poll
- Georgia Gwinnett College stands 6-0-1 all-time in season-opening matches
- GGC is 2-0 all-time in the series history between the two programs; both victories have been by shutouts
- The team opens the 2018 season with three straight road matches
Up Next
Georgia Gwinnett College resumes its road trip to begin the 2018 season when it travels to Lima, Ohio to face No. 25 University of Northwestern Ohio Friday, Aug. 24, at 3 p.m. The Grizzlies will play No. 10 Baker University (Kan.) Sunday, Aug. 26, at 11 a.m. during the trip.
