The Georgia Gwinnett College women's soccer team valiantly battled top seed Bellevue University (Nebraska) for 110 minutes and more before being on the losing end of a penalty kick shootout in the 2022 Continental Athletic Conference Women's Soccer Championship match Saturday night at the Grizzly Soccer Complex.
Bellevue edged GGC 3-2 in the penalty kick session after both teams battled to a 1-1 draw in the regulation and two overtime sessions.
The No. 2 seeded Grizzlies (5-7-7) forced overtime for the first time this season behind the heroics from junior
Kyara Armenta, who found the back of the net for the tying goal in the 85th minute. She had managed to get behind the Bruins' defense after a perfectly placed long ball from freshman
Vanna Darrell. Faced with fast-paced, one-on-one situation in front of the net, Armenta slotted the ball past Bellevue goalkeeper Jenn Amaro into the open net to square the contest.
This dramatic goal came after Armenta had scored the game-winning tally in the 78th minute of Friday night's 1-0 semifinal win against USC Beaufort.
Bellevue (13-3-2) took a 1-0 lead in the 72nd minute on an own goal after a free kick.
GGC nearly found the second goal twice in the first 10-minute overtime period. Amaro saved a penalty kick from sophomore
Aurora Miglio in the 94th minute. Minutes later, Armenta once again found herself evading Amaro and being alone nearly 35 yards away from the opposing open net. However, a hustling Bellevue defender prevented Armenta from attempting a shot during the sequence.
The championship match headed to penalty kicks after 110 minutes of intense action that featured both teams attempting 11 shots.
The Grizzlies took a 2-1 lead after three penalty kick rounds following successful attempts by junior
Maria Rivera and freshman
Saga Andersson. Sophomore goalkeeper
Matilda Johansson made a save on Bellevue's third attempt to give GGC the advantage. However, the tournament hosts were unsuccessful on their final two tries and Bellevue converted on both of its attempts, with Amaro slotting a ball past Johansson in a goalkeepers' showdown for the game-winning kick.
Juniors
D'arne Boato and
Victoria Watson joined Armenta on the CAC's all-tournament team.
Turning Point
The Grizzlies twice had a golden opportunity in the first 10-minute overtime period to score an elusive second goal of the match. Bellevue goalkeeper Jenn Amaro stopped a penalty kick attempt by sophomore
Aurora Miglio in the 94th minute. A few minutes later junior
Kyara Armenta dribbled around Amaro nearly 35 yards away from goal. However, a hustling defender prevented Armenta from getting off a shot into the vacant opposing net.
Goals
72' – Own Goal, BU
85' –
Kyara Armenta, GGC (
Vanna Darrell)
Inside The Numbers
- Both teams registered 11 shots across the 110 minutes of action
- Bellevue held a 5-1 advantage in corner kicks in the championship match
- Junior Kyara Armenta led the Grizzlies with three shots
News & Notes
- GGC is 5-7-7 on the season, while Bellevue stands 13-3-2
- The Grizzlies stood as the No. 2 seed in the Continental Athletic Conference Women's Soccer Championship; Bellevue was the top seed
- Georgia Gwinnett College leads the series 2-1-1
Up Next
Georgia Gwinnett College now prepares to compete in the first round of the NAIA national tournament, starting on Thursday, November 17. The team will find out its match location and first-round opponent when the 40-team national tournament bracket is announced on Monday, November 14.
