The No. 12-ranked Georgia Gwinnett College men's soccer team scored three consecutive goals in the second half to defeat Southeastern University (Florida) 4-2 on Saturday afternoon at the Grizzly Soccer Complex.

The Grizzlies (5-0-1) broke a 1-1 tie with goals by senior Karim Tmimi and juniors James Forster in the 62nd and 65th minutes to pull away for a 3-1 lead. Junior Odin Solheim added to the team's offensive output with in the 79th minute.

The hosts struck first in the 16th minute when junior Emanuele Sordi headed a crossing pass from junior Marco Panaccione for his fifth goal of the season. Senior Gianmaria Fiore started the play following a foul by Southeastern near midfield.

Southeastern (2-2-2) then squared the match, 1-1, in the 50th minute when Gianluca Contegno headed in a crossing pass from Vittorio Sasso.

GGC responded in a big way in the 62nd minute as Tmimi's shot from a tight angle along the left end line slipped through the hands of the Southeastern goalkeeper to land inside the right goalpost.

Three minutes later, after a failed clearance off a GGC corner kick, Forster lined up a shot from the top of the 18-yard box that sailed into the lower left corner of the goal. That gave the Grizzlies a 3-1 advantage.

The team's final tally came off a crossing pass from sophomore Antoine Ferez to Solheim at the right goalpost.

GGC outshot the Fire by a 14-7 margin in the contest with Tmimi's four shots leading the charge. The team also collected 11 corner kicks on Saturday.
  "This was a very good win for us. I'm very pleased with our performance against a quality Southeastern team. I told our guys at the half (leading 1-0) that this was like a tournament game. I loved our response after allowing the tying goal. It got to 3-1 before you knew it and then came the fourth goal to pull away," said Head Coach Steve DeCou.
                The nationally ranked Grizzlies scored three consecutive goals in the second half after the Fire squared the match, 1-1, in the 50th minute. Senior Karim Tmimi found the back of the net in the 62nd minute before sophomore James Forster drilled a shot from the top of the 18-yard box inside the left goalpost three minutes later. A crossing pass from junior Antoine Ferez found the foot of junior Odin Solheim in the 79th minute to grow the lead to 4-1.
  16' – Emanuele Sordi, GGC (Marco Panaccione, Gianmaria Fiore)
50' – Gianluca Contegno, SEU (Vittorio Sasso)
62' – Karim Tmimi, GGC (unassisted)
65' – James Forster, GGC (unassisted)
79' – Odin Solheim, GGC (Antoine Ferez)
87' – Antonio Marra, SEU (Marko Pengili)
 

• The Grizzlies outshot Southeastern by a 14-7 margin on Saturday
• GGC attempted 11 corner kicks across the 90 minutes of action
• Junior Emanuele Sordi scored his team-leading fifth goal of the season
• Senior Karim Tmimi led GGC with four shots

• GGC improves to 5-0-1 in 2022, while Southeastern drops to 2-2-2 on the season
• Georgia Gwinnett College was ranked No. 12 in the first weekly NAIA Top 25 poll; Southeastern received votes in the same poll
• The Grizzlies have won all four meetings in the series with the Fire
• GGC has scored at least two goals in each match this season

Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to host Faulkner University (Alabama) on Saturday, September 17, from the Grizzly Soccer Complex, starting at 5 p.m.