A hat trick by junior Joy Mertzig led the top-seeded Georgia Gwinnett College women's soccer to a 6-0 victory against No. 4 seed Iowa Wesleyan University in Friday afternoon's semifinal of the 2021 Continental Athletic Conference women's soccer tournament at the Grizzly Soccer Complex.

The Grizzlies (10-6-1) will play No. 3 seed Bellevue University (Nebraska) for the league championship on Saturday, November 13, at 4 p.m. Friday's victory assured the team an appearance in the NAIA national tournament as one of the CAC's two representatives. Bellevue defeated No. 2 seed Viterbo University (Wisconsin) 1-0 in Friday's other semifinal.

Mertzig produced all the first-half scoring by finding the back of the net in the fourth, 19th and 25th minutes as GGC built a 3-0 halftime edge.

A corner kick from junior Addie Adame set up a header by Mertzig for the first tally of the match.

Sophomore Kyara Armenta created the second scoring chance when she weaved down the left end line to find Mertzig positioned right in front of the goal.

Mertzig capped her strong first half with an unassisted goal to give the tournament host the 3-0 halftime lead.

The Grizzlies (10-6-1) kept up the strong play in the second half with Adame scoring just six minutes into the period. Mertzig and Armenta made quick passes inside the 18-yard box before finding Adame in front of an open goal.

Freshman Ashley Donselaar finished a one-on-one situation with the Iowa Wesleyan goalkeeper in the 71st minute to tally her first postseason goal. Five minutes later, a free kick from sophomore Carolina Halvorsen inside the 18-yard box bounced off the crossbar before senior Ana Da Costa volleyed the ball into the back of the net to give GGC its decisive 6-0 lead.

Goalkeepers Matilda Waldt and Matilda Johansson combined for the shutout – the seventh for the Grizzlies this fall.

CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL
 
Coach's Corner
"I was very pleased with how we played in the second half, putting passes together and playing our style of soccer. It will take more of that kind of play tomorrow (in the CAC championship match)," said Head Coach Dr. Mike Giuliano.
               
Turning Point
Junior Joy Mertzig scored a hat trick for the second straight match and her third of the 2021 season. Her three goals came in the first half of Friday's CAC semifinal match.
 
Goals
4' – Joy Mertzig, GGC (Addie Adame)
19' – Joy Mertzig, GGC (Kyara Armenta)
25' – Joy Mertzig, GGC (unassisted)
51' – Addie Adame, GGC (Joy Mertzig, Kyara Armenta)
71' – Ashley Donselaar, GGC (Victoria Watson)
76' – Ana Da Costa, GGC (Caroline Halvorsen)
 
Inside The Numbers

• The Grizzlies registered 29 shots in the match
• Junior Joy Mertzig recorded a hat trick for the second straight match and third time in 2021
• GGC attempted 14 of the 16 corner kicks during the 90 minutes of action
• The Grizzlies have scored 14 goals over their last two matches

News & Notes

• GGC improves to 10-6-1 on the season, while Iowa Wesleyan ends the season with a 5-11-1 record
• Georgia Gwinnett College was receiving votes in the latest NAIA Top 25 poll
• The Grizzlies hold a 7-0-2 record in conference tournament play under Head Coach Dr. Mike Giuliano
• GGC was the tournament's No. 1 seed, while Iowa Wesleyan stood as the No. 4 seed
• Friday's semifinal match marked the first meeting between the two programs; Iowa Wesleyan was making its CAC tournament debut

Up Next
Georgia Gwinnett College will face Bellevue University (Nebraska) in the championship match of the Continental Athletic Conference women's soccer tournament on Saturday, November 13, starting at 4 p.m. from the Grizzly Soccer Complex.