Freshman Amadou Diop headed in two corner kicks as the Georgia Gwinnett College men's soccer team battled NCAA Division II University of North Georgia to a 2-2 draw in the regular-season finale on Saturday afternoon at the Grizzly Soccer Complex.

Diop headed in a left corner kick in the 54th minute to tie the match at 2-2.

Junior Toufik Najem delivered both corner kicks to Diop. Both tallies tied the contest as the duo connected for GGC's first goal in the 16th minute.

North Georgia (8-5-3) converted off a corner kick in the ninth minute as Tyler Vitelli found the back of the net after passes by Christian Carlton and Miguel Romero.

After Diop's first goal, the visitors quickly regained the lead at 2-1 after the Grizzlies conceded an own goal just 11 seconds later.

Trailing 2-1 at halftime, GGC (10-5-2) applied pressure on the Nighthawks by registering the first five shots of the second half. Freshman Alejandro Contrera struck the right post with a shot during the 53rd minute. Less than 90 seconds later came Diop's match-tying goal.

Najem hit the left post with a left-footed shot from the edge of the 18-yard box in the 83rd minute. He later attempted consecutive shots in the 89th and 90th minutes.

Junior goalkeeper Dagoberto Romero recorded five saves, including one on a shot in the 87th minute to keep the match deadlocked at 2-2.

The Grizzlies outshot North Georgia by a 15-7 margin, including a 9-2 edge during the second half. Contrera and Najem each led the way with four shot attempts. Diop's two shots on Saturday found the back of the net to raise his season total to three goals.

Georgia Gwinnett College will be the No. 2 seed in the 2024 Continental Athletic Conference Men's Soccer Championships and has earned a first-round bye. The team will play a semifinal match on Monday, November 11, at the Grizzly Soccer Complex, starting at 2 p.m.
 
Coach's Corner
"I thought we started a little slow, but once we got into the game we did some good things. This was a good test for us in our last match before the postseason. We'll take the result. It was good to see both goals were scored off set pieces," said Head Coach Steve DeCou.
 
Turning Point
The Grizzlies applied pressure in the second half searching for the equalizer. Freshman Alejandro Contrera struck the right post with a shot. Less than two minutes later, freshman Amadou Diop headed in his second goal of the match to square the contest at 2-2 during the 54th minute. GGC hit the left post in the 83rd minute following a shot by junior Toufik Najem seeking the elusive third goal.
 
Goals
9' – Tyler Vitelli, UNG (Christian Carlton and Miguel Romero)
16' – Amadou Diop, GGC (Toufik Najem)
16' – Own Goal, UNG
54' – Amadou Diop, GGC (Toufik Najem)
 
Inside The Numbers

• The Grizzlies held a 15-7 shot advantage, including a 9-2 edge during the second half
• Freshman Amadou Diop became the fourth different Grizzly to score multiple goals in a match this season
• North Georgia recorded a 7-4 corner kick advantage across the 90 minutes of action
• Junior Toufik Najem and freshman Alejandro Contrera each tied for match-high honors with four shot attempts

News & Notes

• GGC stands 10-5-2 on the season; North Georgia is now 8-5-3 in 2024
• The Grizzlies were receiving votes in the latest NAIA Top 25 poll
• Saturday's match marked the second meeting between the two colleges
• The team went 6-3-1 at the Grizzly Soccer Complex during the regular season

Up Next
Georgia Gwinnett College has earned the No. 2 seed in the 2024 Continental Athletic Conference Men's Soccer Championships and is scheduled to play a semifinal match on Monday, November 11, at the Grizzly Soccer Complex, starting at 2 p.m.