No. 12-ranked Lindsey Wilson University (Kentucky) scored three unanswered second-half goals while having a one-player advantage to defeat the Georgia Gwinnett College men's soccer team 3-1 to close out the Labor Day Grizzly Classic on Monday afternoon at the Grizzly Soccer Complex.

GGC (3-1-0) struck in the 16th minute when freshman Ousmane Fall intercepted a pass from the opposing goalkeeper and scored into an open net. The forward registered his third goal of the season, tying for the team lead.

The hosts maintained positive momentum throughout the duration of the first half before a second yellow card of the match was issued on a GGC player with 36 seconds left in the period. That meant the team had to play the rest of the match with one less player on the pitch.

The Grizzlies had outshot the Blue Raiders (3-0-1) by a 5-4 margin during that first half. However, things changed drastically in the second half with Lindsey Wilson taking advantage of the free space on the pitch to outshoot GGC by a 11-2 edge.

Denilson Macon found the back of the net, tying the match at 1-1, in the 52nd minute.

Michael Rempel then drilled a free kick from just outside the 18-yard box into the right side of the goal at the 60th minute to give the visitors a 2-1 lead.

Juliano Manfro netted an insurance goal in the 85th minute.

The Blue Raiders outshot GGC by a 15-7 margin for the match.

Fall led the Grizzlies with both of his shots being on goal. Five of the team's seven shots were on goal in the contest.

Monday's match was the first of three opponents against teams featured in the NAIA Preseason Top 25 poll.


 
Coach's Corner
"The red card changed everything. Up until that point we were controlling our game plan. We punished their mistake (with a goal). You cannot play a team of Lindsey Wilson's caliber with 10 players. Today was a great learning opportunity. We saw heart and we saw fight today from our team," said Head Coach Steve DeCou.
 
Turning Point
The Grizzlies played the entire second half with 10 players after a second yellow card was issued to a player in the closing moments of the first half. The No. 12-ranked Blue Raiders took advantage of the free space on the pitch to score goals in the 52nd and 60th minutes to grab a 2-1 lead. Michael Rempel drilled a free kick from just outside the 18-yard box into the right side of GGC's goal for the eventual match-winning goal.
 
Goals
16' – Ousmane Fall, GGC (Unassisted)
52' – Denilson Macon, LWU (Juliano Manfro)
60' – Michael Rempel LWU (Unassisted)
85' – Juliano Manfro, LWU (Michael Rempel)
 
Inside The Numbers

• Lindsey Wilson outshot GGC by a 15-7 margin, including an 11-2 edge during the second half when playing with the one-player advantage
• Five of the GGC's seven shots were on goal
• Freshman Ousmane Fall scored his third goal of the season to tie for the team lead
• The Grizzlies attempted three corner kicks across Monday's 90 minutes of action

News & Notes

• GGC drops to 3-1-0 this fall; Lindsey Wilson improves to 3-0-1 in 2025
• The Grizzlies received votes in the NAIA Preseason Top 25 poll; Lindsey Wilson stood No. 12 in the same poll
• Lindsey Wilson took a 3-2 lead in the series with the Blue Raiders winning three straight encounters
• GGC played its first nationally ranked opponent this season

Up Next
Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to begin a four-match home stand against Southeastern University (Florida) on Saturday, September 13, at the Grizzly Soccer Complex, starting at 2 p.m.