Sophomore Joy Mertzig scored her 10th goal of the season to lift the No. 18-ranked Georgia Gwinnett College women's soccer team to a 1-0 victory at Bethel University (Tenn.) on Tuesday afternoon in McKenzie, Tenn.

The Grizzlies (8-4-1) were playing their first match in nine days.

The match was a defensive struggle, with GGC keeping the Lady Wildcats to just two shots in the 90 minutes of action. Meanwhile, the visitors were held to four shots, with one of them being Mertzig's match-winning shot. It found the back of the net in the 81st minute following a pass from freshman Hilda Nygren.

Senior goalkeepers Sophie Hoare and Elisa Randel each stopped a shot on goal during each half to record the shutout.

Tuesday's match opened a busy final month of the regular season. The Grizzlies are scheduled to play six times in October – the next three matches being at the Grizzly Soccer Complex.
 
Coach's Corner
"This was a well-earned victory. We made some adjustments during the recent break and I thought we did a good job executing them today. We kept a really good team off the scoreboard. They have an All-American up front and Lena Balck marked her for most of the match. This was an outstanding team performance to get a shutout and collect a really big win," said Head Coach Dr. Mike Giuliano.
 
Turning Point
There were limited scoring chances for both teams in the defensive-minded match, with each team managing two shots on goal. Each scoring opportunity proved to be valuable. GGC finally broke through when sophomore Joy Mertzig converted a chance in the 81st minute, after receiving a pass from freshman Hilda Nygren.
 
Goals
81' – Joy Mertzig, GGC (Hilda Nygren)
 
Inside The Numbers

• The Grizzlies held a 4-to-2 shot advantage during the 90 minutes of action
• Both teams had two shots on goal
• Four different players attempted a shot for GGC
• Senior goalkeepers Sophie Hoare and Elisa Randel combined to make two saves to record the shutout

News & Notes

• GGC improves to 8-4-1 on the season, while Bethel falls to 6-3-1
• The Grizzlies were ranked No. 18 in the NAIA Top 25 poll
• GGC is 3-2-1 in road matches this fall
• The team has won both meetings with Bethel, with each contest being played in Tennessee and both resulting in a shutout for GGC

Up Next
Georgia Gwinnett College begins a three-match home stand when it hosts Point University (Ga.) on Saturday, Oct. 12, at 7 p.m. from the Grizzly Soccer Complex.