For the fifth straight season, the Georgia Gwinnett College women's soccer team is conference champions. This time the Grizzlies won the inaugural Continental Athletic Conference (CAC) title Saturday afternoon with a 3-0 victory against Bellevue University (Nebraska) at the Grizzly Soccer Complex.
GGC, the tournament's top seed, had previously won four straight Association of Independent Institutions titles (now known as the CAC). The program has a 9-0-2 record in home postseason matches under Head Coach
Dr. Mike Giuliano.
The Grizzlies (11-6-1) got on the scoreboard in the 30th minute when freshman
Clara Lidquist found the back of the net two minutes after entering the match as an injury substitute. She outhustled Bellevue goalkeeper Sabrina Staufenbiel after bobbling a crossing pass in front of the goal.
The tournament hosts maintained the 1-0 lead until midway through the second half when a pair of goals seven minutes apart provided a cushion for GGC's championship aspirations.
Junior
Addie Adame had a key insurance goal in the 74th minute when her shot from 20 yards sailed over a leaping Staufenbiel into the net. Sophomore
Bre Harvey tallied her first goal of the season when she converted a scramble sequence in the opposing goal crease in the 81st minute.
Junior
Joy Mertzig was named the 2021 CAC tournament's Most Outstanding Player after she scored a hat trick in Friday's semifinal victory. Junior defender
Lena Balck (who assisted on Harvey's goal), freshman goalkeeper
Matilda Johansson (who had two tournament shutouts), and Adame were also named to the all-tournament team.
The Grizzlies outshot Bellevue (8-10) by a 13-3 margin in the match, including a 10-2 advantage in shots on goal.
Coach's Corner
"It's a great feeling to be a conference champion. Five (championships) in a row in any conference is something to be excited about. I liked how we competed and fought for every ball. The second half was a dominating performance. They (Bellevue) had some moments, but just couldn't get past our back line," said Head Coach
Dr. Mike Giuliano.
Turning Point
Enjoying a 1-0 lead, the Grizzlies got a key insurance goal when a shot from junior
Addie Adame sailed over the leaping Bellevue goalkeeper Sabrina Staufenbiel and found the back of the net in the 74th minute. Seven minutes later the team added a third goal.
Goals
30' –
Clara Lidquist, GGC (unassisted)
74' –
Addie Adame, GGC (
Maria Rivera)
81' –
Bre Harvey, GGC (
Lena Balck)
Inside The Numbers
- The Grizzlies outshot Bellevue by a 13-3 margin, including a 10-2 edge in shots on goal
- GGC recorded five of the six corner kicks in the match
- Junior Joy Mertzig attempted a match-high four shots for the Grizzlies
- The Grizzlies won both matches in the CAC tournament with shutouts (6-0 Friday; 3-0 Saturday)
News & Notes
- GGC improves to 11-6-1 this fall; Bellevue stands 8-10 on the season
- Georgia Gwinnett College was receiving votes in the latest NAIA Top 25 poll
- The Grizzlies have a 8-0-2 record in conference tournament play under Head Coach Dr. Mike Giuliano
- GGC was the tournament's No. 1 seed; Bellevue stood as the No. 3 seed
Up Next
Georgia Gwinnett College will find out its assignment for the 2021 NAIA national tournament when the field is announced on Monday, November 15. The Grizzlies earned one of the CAC's two automatic bid to the national tournament.
