Three unanswered goals in the first half paved the way for the No. 18-ranked Georgia Gwinnett College women's soccer team to earn a resounding 3-1 home victory against No. 15-ranked University of Mobile (Ala.) on Thursday evening at the Grizzly Soccer Complex.
The match was part of the Grizzly Classic, which features four nationally ranked NAIA teams.
Sophomore
Joy Mertzig scored two goals to lead the Grizzlies (6-2-1) to their first victory over a ranked opponent this season.
After Mobile (6-2) found the back of the net in the 16th minute to take a 1-0 lead, Mertzig successfully converted a penalty kick four minutes later to even the match.
Then, freshman
Miranda Robinson drilled a shot from 25 yards away over the outstretched Mobile goalkeeper to give Grizzlies a 2-1 lead in the 26th minute. Freshman
Kyara Armenta passed the ball back to Robinson following a corner kick opportunity.
Mertzig used her head in the 40th minute to deflect a corner kick from freshman
Flavia von Kaenel into the net, giving the team a 3-1 advantage.
There were no goals added to the scoreboard in the second half. However, that doesn't mean that Mobile didn't try, outshooting the tournament hosts by a 14-to-3 margin in the period. Senior goalkeeper
Sophie Hoare was up to the challenge as she made a career-high 10 saves across 90 minutes of action. She also set a program career record with her 25th victory in front of the GGC goal.
In the first match of Thursday's action, No. 22 Westmont College (Calif.) upset top-ranked and defending national champion William Carey University (Miss.) 3-0. Play in the Grizzly Classic resumes Saturday, Sept. 21, with Westmont playing Mobile at 5 p.m. and GGC squared off against William Carey at 7:30 p.m.
Coach's Corner
"Tonight was a good night. The first half was easily the best soccer we have played all season. We made progress tonight and beat a top-20 team. Sophie was at her absolute best and saved us over, over and over again tonight," said Head Coach
Dr. Mike Giuliano.
Turning Point
For the sixth straight match, the Grizzlies allowed the first goal of the match, falling behind 1-0 in the 16th minute. However, GGC bounced back to draw even on the scoreboard just four minutes later after freshman
Kyara Armenta drew a foul in the box, resulting in a penalty kick. Sophomore
Joy Mertzig buried the opportunity to square the match, 1-1, and grabbed momentum before the Grizzlies added two more goals later in the half.
Goals
16' – Tori Clement, UM (Cheyne Bush)
20' –
Joy Mertzig, GGC (penalty kick)
26' –
Miranda Robinson, GGC (
Kyara Armenta)
40' –
Joy Mertzig, GGC (
Flavia von Kaenel)
Inside The Numbers
- Mobile held a 21-to-8 shot advantage, including a 14-to-3 edge in the second half
- Senior Sophie Hoare made a career-high 10 saves in the victory
- Three of GGC's five shots on goal found the back of the net
- Sophomore Joy Mertzig scored her team-leading seventh goal of the season, behind two tallies on Thursday
News & Notes
- GGC improves to 6-2-1 on the season; Mobile drops to 6-2 in 2019
- Senior goalkeeper Sophie Hoare became the program's career leader with 25 victories
- The Grizzlies were ranked No. 18 in this week's NAIA regular-season Top 25 poll; Mobile stood No. 15 in the same poll
- Mobile leads the all-time series 3-2, with the Grizzlies having won matches in the last two seasons
Up Next
Georgia Gwinnett College hosts top-ranked William Carey University (Miss.) on Saturday, Sept. 21, at 7:30 p.m. in the second night of the Grizzly Classic from the Grizzly Soccer Complex.
