The Georgia Gwinnett College men's soccer team completed an unbeaten Continental Athletic Conference Classic following Saturday afternoon's 2-1 victory against Talladega College (Alabama) at the Grizzly Soccer Complex.

The Grizzlies (7-5-1) scored both of their goals exactly two minutes apart in the first half.

Freshman Alejandro Contrera opened the scoring on a give-and-go play with junior Ciro Damine in the 27th minute. Then, freshman Hugo Luengo buried a shot into lower left corner of the opposing goal off a corner kick at the 29-minute mark.

The hosts maintained the 2-0 edge until Talladega (3-4-2) got on the scoreboard in the 68th minute when Tavar Lawrence scored his NAIA-leading 16th goal of the season.

GGC was able to limit the Tornadoes' scoring chances the rest of the way to secure the one-goal triumph. Meanwhile, the team held a slight 15-13 shot advantage, highlighted by nine shots during the first half.

Contrera recorded a match-high five shots, while freshman Juan Hermenegildo attempted three shots.

Junior goalkeeper Dagoberto Romero recorded four saves – all coming in the first half – in Saturday's finale of the two-day CAC Classic. The Grizzlies defeated Wiley University (Texas) 10-2 on Thursday evening.
 


Coach's Corner
"These two conference victories have got us back on track. This is the kind of game that we're going to see in the postseason, where the result is more important than the performance. Thursday (a 10-2 win against Wiley) was a great performance. Today was a result for a group that's learning how to win," said Head Coach Steve DeCou.
 
Turning Point
GGC scored two goals exactly two minutes apart in the first half to build a 2-0 advantage. Both tallies were recorded by freshman, with Alejandro Contrera finding the back of the net in the 27th minute before Hugo Luengo drilled a shot into the lower left corner of the goal following a corner kick at the 29-minute mark.
 
Goals
27' – Alejandro Contrera, GGC (Ciro Damine)
29' – Hugo Luengo, GGC (Unassisted)
68' – Tavar Lawrence, TC (Unassisted)
 
Inside The Numbers

• The Grizzlies held a slight 15-13 shot advantage in the match
• Talladega attempted seven corner kicks compared to GGC's three across Saturday's 90 minutes of action
• Freshman Alejandro Contrera scored his team-leading seventh goal
• Fifteen different GGC players appeared in the victory

News & Notes

• GGC improves to 7-5-1 in 2024; Talladega drops to 3-4-2 this fall
• The Grizzlies received votes in the latest NAIA Top 25 poll
• The team has won six of the seven meetings in the series history with Talladega, including all five matches played in Lawrenceville
• Georgia Gwinnett College and Talladega are members of the Continental Athletic Conference

Up Next
Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to play at West Virginia Tech on Wednesday, October 23, from Beckley, West Virginia, starting at 1 p.m.