The No. 23-ranked Georgia Gwinnett College men's soccer team relied on a balanced offensive attack for a season-high goal output in a 5-0 victory against Washington Adventist University (Md.) on Monday afternoon at the Grizzly Soccer Complex.
The Grizzlies (8-4-3) received goals from five different players and outshot the Shock (8-3) by a 16-to-7 margin in the contest between Association of Independent Institutions teams. GGC held a 10-to-1 edge in shots over the second half.
Junior
Alfredo Rivera opened the scoring when the Grizzlies converted off a free kick in the 16th minute. Junior
Toni Tiente delivered the free kick 25 yards away from the Washington Adventist goal. Sophomore
Gianmaria Fiore headed the ball from the left post to the middle of the six-yard box and Rivera put the ball into the open net.
GGC took a 2-0 lead in the 35th minute when junior
Krishna Clarke deflected a ball from the left end line into the goal, after receiving a pass from Tiente.
The hosts tallied three second-half goals to seal the victory. Senior
Sagi Hirsch drilled a shot into the net from 15 yards away in the 59th minute. It was his first goal of the season. Senior
Malik Thornell sent a ball from the middle that found Hirsch down the left side of the pitch.
Sophomore
Aoci Pilipili connected on a goal in the 77th minute, following a crossing pass by freshman
Milton Alfaro. Then, freshman
James Forster netted his first collegiate goal in the final minute on a rebound, following a shot from junior
Alex Rivera.
Junior
Matija Gligorovic and sophomore
Ivan Morales combined as goalkeepers for GGC's fourth shutout of the season. Gligorovic made three saves in 82 minutes in goal before Morales secured the shutout with seven scoreless minutes.
Coach's Corner
"We needed a performance like this. It was good to play a lot of players, get a shutout and score a lot of goals. It was a good performance all around. This was our third game since last Wednesday. On a warm day, it was good to see a good showing of our team's fitness and depth," said Head Coach
Steve DeCou.
Turning Point
The Grizzlies capitalized on their several scoring chances Monday. GGC buried both of its scoring opportunities in the first half when junior
Alfredo Rivera found the back of the net in the 16th and junior
Krishna Clarke in the 35th minute. The team scored on five of its 12 shots on goal in 90 minutes of action.
Goals
16' –
Alfredo Rivera, GGC (
Gianmaria Fiore,
Toni Tiente)
35' –
Krishna Clarke, GGC (
Toni Tiente)
59' –
Sagi Hirsch, GGC (
Malik Thornell)
77' –
Aoci Pilipili, GGC (
Milton Alfaro)
89' –
James Forster (
Alex Rivera)
Inside The Numbers
- The Grizzlies outshot Washington Adventist by a 16-to-7 margin, including a 10-1 edge during the second half
- The five goals were a season high for GGC
- Juniors Alfredo Rivera and Toni Tiente each attempted three shots for the Grizzlies
- Both teams recorded three corner kicks
News & Notes
- GGC improves to 8-4-3 on the season; Washington Adventist drops to 8-3 this fall
- Georgia Gwinnett College is ranked No. 23 in the latest NAIA Top 25 poll
- Monday's match marked the first meeting between the two programs
- The Grizzlies and Shock are members of the Association of Independent Institutions; GGC was rated No. 1 and Washington Adventist stood No. 3 in the Oct. 21 league ratings
Up Next
Georgia Gwinnett College hosts Oglethorpe University (Ga.) on Wednesday, Oct. 30, at 7 p.m. It will be Senior Night at the Grizzly Soccer Complex.
