The ball didn't bounce in the favor of the Georgia Gwinnett College women's soccer team in losing 1-0 to University of Northwestern Ohio in a tightly contested First Round matchup Thursday evening in the Williamsburg (Kentucky) Bracket.

UNOH's Patricia Blazquez struck a 40-yard free kick toward the Grizzlies' goal in the 52nd minute. The ball drifted into the 18-yard box in from the goal, and instead of being cleared away from danger, it bounced and rolled into an open net to give the No. 2-seeded Racers the pivotal 1-0 lead.

GGC spent the rest of the match feverishly seeking a tying goal.

Freshman Cecilie Polvsen placed a shot on the opposing goal during the 53rd minute. Then, senior Kyara Armenta struck a one-timer from 15 yards away into the hands of Northwestern Ohio goalkeeper Sophia Eisner in the 60th minute.

Following a Racer foul in the midfield, GGC freshman Riko Yasuzawa placed another shot on goal in the 69th minute.

Later, Povlsen hit a shot from close distance during the 88th minute after the ball bounced around in front of the UNOH goal.

However, Eisner was up to each of the challenges in posting the shutout, Northwestern Ohio's 10th of the 2023 season. She made seven saves in the match.

Povlsen nearly gave the No. 3-seeded Grizzlies the lead in the first half when she redirected a left crossing pass from freshman Gabriela Rosas off the crossbar in the 31st minute. Povlsen had three of GGC's nine shots in the match. Yasuzawa added two shots for the Grizzlies.

The Racers tallied 10 shots, including four shots being on goal in the victory. They also recorded seven corner kicks.

Georgia Gwinnett College advanced to the NAIA national tournament for the seventh consecutive season and eighth time overall. The team won its sixth conference tournament title to earn an automatic bid to the 40-team field.

Northwestern Ohio advances to face No. 3 national seed University of the Cumberlands in the championship match of the Williamsburg Bracket on Saturday, November 18, at 6 p.m.
  "Sports is a perfect example and reminder that life is not always fair. This was a match between two evenly matched teams and just one mistake proved to be costly for us. They (UNOH) were very organized defensively, but I was pleased with the number of chances we were able to generate. This senior class went through a lot this year. I could not be prouder of how they represented themselves during their final year of college soccer," said Head Coach Dr. Mike Giuliano.
  Northwestern Ohio capitalized on a set piece opportunity to produce the lone goal in Thursday's postseason match. In the 52nd minute, Patricia Blazquez delivered a free kick from 40 yards away toward the middle of the 18-yard box. An unfortunate bound put the ball into the back of the Grizzlies' net for the deciding goal.
  52' – Patricia Blazquez, UNOH (unassisted)
 

• Northwestern Ohio held a 10-9 shot advantage in the match
• Seven of GGC's nine shots were on goal across the 90 minutes of action
• Freshman Cecilie Povlsen tied for match-high honors with three shots, including hitting the crossbar in the 32nd minute
• Senior Kyara Armenta played in her school record 94th match on Thursday

• GGC ends the 2023 season with a 6-13-1 record; Northwestern Ohio improves to 14-5-3 this fall
• The Grizzlies stood as the No. 3 seed in the Williamsburg Bracket; Northwestern Ohio was the No. 2 seed
• Thursday's match marked the first meeting between the two colleges
• Georgia Gwinnett College made its seventh straight NAIA postseason appearance