No. 16-ranked Cumberland University (Tennessee) remained unbeaten for the 2023 season after recording a 3-0 victory against No. 21 Georgia Gwinnett College in NAIA women's soccer action Tuesday afternoon at the Grizzly Soccer Complex.
The Phoenix (10-0-1) opened the scoring with Marie Bathe drilling a shot from 20 yards away into the lower left corner of the GGC goal in the 28th minute.
A pair of second-half goals pulled the visitors away from the Grizzlies (5-2-3). Mari Sagstad scored her 13th goal of the season with a header in the 52nd minute. Brenda Cernas then closed out the scoring with an unassisted goal in the 69th minute.
GGC had a chance to get on the scoreboard in the later stages of the match as senior
Kyara Armenta hit the crossbar on a penalty kick attempt.
Junior goalkeeper
Matilda Johansson made 12 saves in the match, marking the second most saves ever recorded in a match in Grizzlies' history.
No. 16-ranked Cumberland doubled its lead to 2-0 in the early stages of the second half. That goal came after the team held an 11-1 shot advantage in the first half. Cumberland added an insurance tally in the 69th minute of the match.
28' – Marie Bathe, CU (Brenda Cernas)
52' – Mari Sagstad, CU (Lucia Mei)
69' – Brenda Cernas, CU (unassisted)
- Cumberland recorded 22 shots in the match
- The Phoenix attempted eight corner kicks
- Junior goalkeeper Matilda Johansson made 12 saves, the second-most recorded in a match in program history
- GGC is now 5-2-3 for the season; Cumberland improves to 10-0-1 this fall
- The Grizzlies were ranked No. 21 in the latest NAIA Top 25 poll of the season; Cumberland stood No. 16 in the same poll
- The Phoenix evened the series, 2-2, with Tuesday's victory
Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to travel to top-ranked William Carey University on Thursday, October 5, at Hattiesburg, Mississippi, starting at 8 p.m.
