Georgia Gwinnett College Athletics

Three first-half goals led the No. 23-ranked Georgia Gwinnett College men's soccer team to a thrilling 3-2 victory Friday night at Pensacola Christian College in Pensacola, Fla.

The Grizzlies (7-4-1) were playing their final road match of the regular season, posting a 4-1-1 record in those contests.

Senior Oscar Sommerkamp recorded a hat trick to pace the team's offensive attack. He scored the game-winning tally in the 40th minute. Junior Myles Barber delivered a pass that Sommerkamp put into the back of the net to break a 2-2 contest. The forward tallied the team's first goal in the 14th minute off a header following a crossing pass from senior Carlos Delarosa.

The goals by Sommerkamp were his first of the 2019 season.

Pensacola Christian (10-7), ranked No. 1 in the National Christian College Athletic Association, got on their home scoreboard in the 10th and 33rd minutes, taking one-goal advantages on both occasions.

Following a foul in the 36th minute, Hirsch sent a free kick into the 18-yard box. That's when Sommerkamp redirected the ball, along with a Pensacola Christian defender, across the goal line to tie the match, 2-2.

Georgia Gwinnett College held a 24-to-12 shot advantage in the match, including having an 11-to-4 edge in the second half.

Junior goalkeeper Matija Gligorovic made six saves, including a diving stop in the final minutes, to pick up the victory.
 
Coach's Corner
"We made some adjustments after they (Pensacola Christian) were strong on the counter attack. I liked our response. Being up 3-2 at halftime, we needed to grind out a result. That's what we will need to do so in the postseason," said Head Coach Steve DeCou.
 
Turning Point
The Grizzlies grabbed its first lead of the match in the 40th minute when senior Oscar Sommerkamp scored his second goal of the match – and second of the season. He played a key factor in the first half, scoring off a header in the 14th minute and then redirecting a free kick in the 36th minute.
 
Goals
10' – Riley Buchalski, PCC (Hayden Hoffman)
14' – Oscar Sommerkamp, GGC (Carlos Delarosa)
33' – Clint Peterson, PCC (Jake McClelland)
36' – Oscar Sommerkamp, GGC (Sagi Hirsch)
40' – Oscar Sommerkamp, GGC (Myles Barber)
 
Inside The Numbers

• GGC outshot Pensacola Christian by a 24-to-12 margin
• Eleven different GGC players recorded a shot in the victory
• Senior Oscar Sommerkamp attempted a match-high six shots for the Grizzlies
• GGC had 15 shots on goal in the 90 minutes of action

News & Notes

• GGC improves to 7-4-3 on the season; Pensacola Christian falls to 10-7 in 2019
• Georgia Gwinnett College is ranked No. 23 in the latest NAIA Top 25 poll; Pensacola Christian is No. 1 in the National Christian College Athletic Association
• Friday's match marked the first meeting between the two programs
• The Grizzlies played their final regular-season road match of the season, posting a 4-1-1 record

Up Next
Georgia Gwinnett College returns home to face Washington Adventist University (Md.) on Monday, Oct. 28, at 1 p.m. from the Grizzly Soccer Complex. GGC and Washington Adventist are members of the Association of Independent Institutions.