The No. 9-seeded Georgia Gwinnett College men's soccer team went the extra mile to post a shootout victory over the University of Rio Grande (Ohio) in a NAIA Second Round match on Saturday afternoon at the Grizzly Soccer Complex.

The teams battled to a scoreless draw across the 110 minutes of action before the Grizzlies came out ahead by a narrow 4-3 margin in an anxiety-filled penalty kick shootout. The victory advances GGC (12-2-4) into the national tournament's Round of 16, being played December 1 at the NAIA Final Site in Orange Beach, Alabama.

Both teams were successful on their first three attempts during the penalty kick shootout. Then, GGC freshman goalkeeper Victor Darub made a diving save to prevent Rio Grande's Harry Walsh scoring opportunity. However, freshman Ousmane Fall was denied on his kick to keep the shootout deadlocked at 3-3 through four rounds.

Then, Darub once again stood tall in front of the Grizzlies' goal, stopping Justin Jimenez's shot in the fifth round. That gave the hosts a chance to win the shootout and post the postseason victory.

"We kept pushing and fighting," said Darub on the match and shootout saves. "They kept going to the same side (of the goal) and I eventually guessed right. Then, with the second (shootout) stop, I could tell that he was going to switch it up and I stopped that one too."

Freshman Brayan Gomez calmly struck the attempt into the back of the net to send the home fans into a frenzy to celebrate the victory.

GGC won its first penalty kick shootout in postseason history and advances to the NAIA final site for the fifth time.

"We've been practicing penalty kicks for two weeks and knew what we were capable of doing. We're moving on and that is all that matters at this time of the season. It doesn't have to be pretty, it just has to be effective," said Head Coach Steve DeCou.

Saturday's postseason match was competitive from start to finish. The Grizzlies created several attacks through wide plays and set pieces, finishing with nine corner kicks. Rio Grande (11-5-4) applied pressure with counterattacks and long diagonal passes. Both teams had several shots inside the box in front of the opposing goal, but strong goalkeeping and defensive plays kept the match scoreless.

GGC came close to scoring late in regulation. In the 81st minute, sophomore Kevin Diaz challenged Hamou for a high ball and drew a foul inside the penalty area. Fall took the penalty shot, but Hamou guessed right and aggressively made the save. The rebound bounced high and Fall's follow-up shot went over the goal.

Sophomore Alejandro Contrera was one of the most active players for the Grizzlies. He recorded two shots on goal and helped create several attacking plays. GGC also relied on contributions from sophomore Djordje Djurasinovic and Fall, with each having shots that required stops by Hamou.

"It means everything to get to the NAIA Final Site. I'm glad to be doing this with this team. We are a really good team and are really close as teammates," said Contrera.

Darub was GGC's backbone throughout the match, overtime session and shootout. One standout moment came as the goalkeeper stopped a close-range by Lucas O'Donnell in the first half.


 
Coach's Corner 
"We survived and have advanced. We did not play well. Rio created a lot of problems for us, and we were just not as sharp as we needed to be. But we showed up when it was needed. Victor made two (shootout) saves and Brayan stepped up as a freshman with a big penalty kick to seal the victory. I'm so happy for these kids. They have worked so hard and have come so far this season," said Head Coach Steve DeCou.
 
Turning Point 
After the teams were successful on their first three shootout kicks, freshman goalkeeper Victor Darub stopped Rio Grande's final two attempts. Then, freshman Brayan Gomez successfully converted on GGC's fifth and final shootout try to advance the Grizzlies into the national tournament's Round of 16.
 
Inside The Numbers

• GGC outshot Rio Grande by an 11-7 margin, including a 7-2 edge in shots on goal
• Freshman goalkeeper Victor Darub made two saves in regulation to post his eighth shutout of the season
• The Grizzlies recorded nine corner kicks across Saturday's 110 minutes of action
• Freshman Ousmane Fall had a match-high five shots

News & Notes 

• Georgia Gwinnett stands 12-2-4 in 2025; Rio Grande concludes the season with an 11-5-4 record
• GGC was ranked No. 12 in the latest NAIA Top 25 poll; Rio Grande stood No. 23 in the same poll
• Saturday's match marked the first contest between the two programs
• Georgia Gwinnett College has advanced to the NAIA Final Site for the fifth time in program history

Up Next 
Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to face No. 8 seed Cumberland University (Tennessee) in a Round of 16 match on Monday, December 1, at Orange Beach, Alabama, starting at 2 p.m.