The Georgia Gwinnett College men's soccer team couldn't hold onto a late first-half lead before losing 4-3 in a back-and-forth NAIA top-15 matchup against William Carey University (Mississippi) on Saturday afternoon in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

The No. 11 Grizzlies (7-4-1) took a 2-1 lead in the 35th minute on the first goal of the season from sophomore Aaron Hafner. The team's first goal of the match came on an unassisted tally from junior Karim Tmimi in the 15th minute.

However, the No. 13-ranked Crusaders (10-2) scored a pair of goals in each half. They took an early 1-0 lead in the opening four minutes and then tied the match with 13 seconds remaining in the first half.

The hosts took a 3-2 lead on a goal from Silvio Xavier in the 60th minute. Six minutes later Djordje Djukovic found the back of the net to stretch the advantage to 4-2.

The Grizzlies would get within one goal, 4-3, in the 83rd minute on a goal from junior Thomas Herwig but couldn't get the tying tally before conclusion of the match.

Hafner led GGC's offensive attack with a goal and an assist. The team outshot William Carey by a 14-12 margin, while the Crusaders held an 8-6 edge in shots on goal.
 
Turning Point
William Carey squared the match at 2-2 by scoring a goal with 13 seconds left before halftime. The hosts then added two more goals within a six-minute span in the second half to build a commanding 4-2 lead.
 
Goals
4' – Juan Ruiz Cabello, WCU (Caoimhin McConnell)
15' – Karim Tmimi, GGC (unassisted)
35' – Aaron Hafner, GGC (unassisted)
45' – Juan Ruiz Cabello, WCU (Thomas Gray)
60' – Silvio Xavier, WCU (Clairy Kengeye)
66' – Djordje Djukovic, WCU (Juan Ruiz Cabello)
83' – Thomas Herwig, GGC (Aaron Hafner)
 
Inside The Numbers

• The Grizzlies outshot William Carey by a 14-12 margin across the 90 minutes of action
• William Carey attempted four of the six corner kicks in the match
• Junior Karim Tmimi scored his ninth goal of the season and now leads the Grizzlies for the season

News & Notes

• GGC drops to 7-4-1 in 2021, while William Carey improves to 10-2 this fall
• Georgia Gwinnett College was ranked No. 11 in the latest NAIA Top 25 poll; William Carey stood No. 13 in the same poll
• William Carey leads the series 2-1-2 with the Grizzlies
• The Grizzlies are 2-1 this season following a loss

Up Next
Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to end the three-match road trip with a match at Thomas University (Georgia) on Wednesday, October 20, at 2 p.m. from Thomasville, Georgia.