Sophomore
Riko Yasuzawa scored twice to spark the top-seeded Georgia Gwinnett College women's soccer team past No. 5 seed Talladega College (Alabama) 4-0 in Monday evening's semifinal match of the 2024 Continental Athletic Conference Championships at the Grizzly Soccer Complex.
CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL
Georgia Gwinnett College advances to the tournament championship match for the eighth consecutive season. The Grizzlies will face No. 2 seed Bellevue University (Nebraska) on Wednesday, November 13, at 7 p.m. The Bruins defeated No. 3 seed University of Jamestown (North Dakota) 1-0 in the other semifinal. GGC has won six league titles.
Yasuzawa drilled a shot into the back of the net in the 22nd minute to open the scoring. The midfielder later scored after receiving a pass from senior
Pernilla Westergren in the 71st minute that gave GGC a 3-0 advantage.
Sophomore
Cecilie Povlsen gave the Grizzlies (12-6-1) a 2-0 lead in the 29th minute with an unassisted goal.
Freshman
Stella Van Der Sluis netted her fourth goal of the fall campaign from 12 yards after receiving a right pass from Povlsen during the 76th minute to score the team's fourth and final goal of the match.
GGC held a commanding 18-4 shot advantage, with 13 shots coming in the first half. Yasuzawa recorded a match-high five shot attempts, while senior
Aurora Miglio and Westergren each attempted three shots.
The Grizzlies also attempted all seven corner kicks in Monday's match.
Coach's Corner
"Our speed of play and one-touch soccer were as good as we have had in any match for quite a while. We were creative offensively. We got the result we needed and now will be playing for another conference championship on Wednesday," said Head Coach
Dr. Mike Giuliano.
Turning Point
The Grizzlies scored twice in each half while striking the goal post and middle crossbar with two additional shots during the opening 45 minutes of play. Sophomores
Riko Yasuzawa and
Cecilie Povlsen scored first-half goals that came nearly seven minutes apart.
Goals
22' –
Riko Yasuzawa, GGC (Unassisted)
29' –
Cecilie Povlsen, GGC (Unassisted)
71' –
Riko Yasuzawa, GGC (
Pernilla Westergren)
76' –
Stella Van Der Sluis, GGC (
Cecilie Povlsen)
Inside The Numbers
- The Grizzlies outshot Talladega by an 18-4 margin, including a 13-2 edge during the first half
- The team recorded all seven corner kicks across the 90 minutes of action
- All 24 players appeared in the match for GGC
- The team posted its ninth shutout of the 2024 season
News & Notes
- GGC improves to 12-6-1 on the season; Talladega concludes the 2024 season with a 5-7-1 record
- The Grizzlies were ranked No. 22 in the final regular season NAIA Top 25 poll
- Georgia Gwinnett College has won six CAC tournament titles
- GGC was the No. 1 seed in the 2024 CAC tournament; Talladega stood as the No. 5 seed
Up Next
Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to host No. 2 seed Bellevue University (Nebraska) in the championship match of the 2024 Continental Athletic Conference tournament on Wednesday, November 13, at the Grizzly Soccer Complex, starting at 7 p.m.
