The No. 16-ranked Georgia Gwinnett College men's soccer team battled for 110 minutes to earn a hard-fought 2-2 draw against No. 2 William Carey University (Mississippi) after two overtime sessions Saturday afternoon at the Grizzly Soccer Complex.
The Grizzlies (7-0-2) extended their unbeaten streak to begin the season to nine consecutive matches – a new achievement for the program.
After allowing an early goal, GGC got its offense rolling in the second half behind a pair of goals. Junior
Karim Tmimi squared the match, 1-1, in the 61st minute when his shot from the top of the 18-yard box snuck inside the left side of the William Carey goal. Freshman
Camilo Santiago dribbled to the left side of the box before finding Tmimi with a key assist.
The Grizzlies then took a 2-1 lead in the 74th minute following a header from freshman
Jason Strambu.
William Carey (7-1-1) increased the intensity to make a final push and eventually got the equalizer, making it 2-2, in the 86th minute on a goal from Callum Ferris. Ethan Loftin, who scored the team's first goal in the match's 11th minute, created the scoring opportunity.
GGC outshot the Crusaders by a 12-11 margin, with both teams managing six shots on goal during the 110-minute match.
Leading 2-1, the Grizzlies were unable to keep the No. 2-ranked Crusaders off the scoreboard in the final minutes of regulation time. Callum Ferris found the back of the GGC net in the 86th minute to square the match. Neither team was able to find the elusive third goal despite William Carey having two shot attempts in the first overtime period. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies managed to get one shot in the second 10-minute overtime session.
12' – Ethan Loftin, WCU (Clairy Kengeye)
61' –
Karim Tmimi, GGC (
Camilo Santiago)
74' –
Jason Strambu, GGC (
Juan Cruz Parisi Sitjar,
Toni Tiente)
86' – Callum Ferris, WCU (Ethan Loftin)
- The Grizzlies held a slim 12-11 shot advantage in the match, with both teams attempting six shots on goal
- William Carey attempted seven corner kicks compared to GGC's five corners during 110 minutes of action
- Freshman Jason Strambu registered a match-high five shots for GGC
- The Grizzlies extended their unbeaten streak to nine matches to begin the season
- GGC stands 7-0-2 on the season, while William Carey is 7-1-1 during the 2020-21 campaign
- Georgia Gwinnett College is ranked No. 16 in the NAIA Top 25 poll; William Carey stood No. 2 in the same poll
- Saturday marked the second draw in the series history between the two programs; both teams also have registered a victory among the four past meetings
Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to host Point University (Georgia) on Tuesday, March 23, at the Grizzly Soccer Complex, starting at 7 p.m.
