Another match led to another shutout for the Georgia Gwinnett College men's soccer team in a 1-0 victory against a quality Reinhardt University (Georgia) team Thursday evening at the Grizzly Soccer Complex.

The Grizzlies have won their fourth straight match to begin the spring season, outscoring the opponents by a 10-1 total margin.

Senior Krishna Clarke delivered the only goal for the hosts when his shot from the top of the 18-yard box glanced off the inside part of the right post in the 24th minute. Senior Toni Tiente controlled possession of the ball in the middle of the pitch before finding Clarke for the scoring opportunity.

GGC outshot Reinhardt (9-2 and receiving votes in the NAIA preseason poll) 6-0 in the first half and held a 9-4 edge in shots for the match.

The Eagles nearly tied the match in the 67th minute when Frans Sigurdsson attempted a shot from 10 yards away from goal. However, senior goalkeeper Matija Gligorovic made a leaping save to keep the visitors off the scoreboard. Gligorovic made another save four minutes later off a free kick to preserve the shutout, his second of the season.

Thursday marked the first win for GGC on its home turf in the series against Reinhardt.


  "This match was everything that I thought it would be, a gritty battle. That happens every time our two programs play. It was a good goal from Krishna and resulted from something that we've been working on in practice. I was pleased with how organized we were defensively," said Head Coach Steve DeCou.
  The Grizzlies controlled the run of play during the first half, but were unable to find the back of the net. That all changed midway through the period when senior Toni Tiente found some open space in the middle of the pitch. He delivered a pass to the top of the 18-yard box in front of Reinhardt's goal. Classmate Krishna Clarke pinned his defender and fired a shot that deflected off the right post to account for the match's lone goal.
  24' – Krishna Clarke, GGC (Toni Tiente)
 

• The Grizzlies outshot Reinhardt 9-4, including a 6-0 edge in the first half
• Reinhardt attempted six corner kicks, compared to three for GGC
• Senior Emmanuel Olusanya and freshman Jack Brown each attempted two shots in the win
• GGC registered its third shutout in four matches to begin the season

• GGC improves to 4-0 during the 2020-21 campaign, while Reinhardt drops to 9-2 on the season
• Georgia Gwinnett College was ranked No. 20 in the first NAIA Top 25 poll of the season; Reinhardt received votes in the same poll
• The series is now tied at three wins apiece and Thursday marked the first win for GGC on its home turf in the series

Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to travel to Montreat College (North Carolina) on Saturday, March 6, starting at 5 p.m.