Georgia Gwinnett College Athletics

The Georgia Gwinnett College men's soccer team scored three goals in the second half to defeat Thomas University (Georgia) 3-0 in Saturday's Senior Night match at the Grizzly Soccer Complex.

GGC (8-4-1) has won its last three matches – all by shutouts – and the three-match winning streak matches the team's longest victory stretch of the season.

Senior Francisco Osorio started Saturday's second-half charge by successfully converting a penalty kick goal in the 61st minute. Sophomore Jean Malilo drew a foul in the 18-yard box in front of opposing goal to draw the penalty kick. Osorio buried the opportunity for his sixth goal of the season and third tally that has come by a penalty kick.

Later in the second half, senior Errin Leak provided a pass and freshman JJ Grimaldo streaked behind the defense to double GGC's advantage to 2-0 in the 76th minute.

Three minutes later, freshman Oliver Northam headed in a free kick from junior Dylan Cedeno to tally his first goal of the season.

The Grizzlies held a commanding 13-2 shot edge against Thomas (6-10-0). Osorio and Grimaldo each had a team-high two shot attempts.

Senior goalkeepers Dagoberto Romero and Gal Grodetzki combined for the shutout, with Romero registering a save in 83 minutes of action.

Before the match, the program honored its seven student-athletes for their contributions over the past four seasons. Seniors Pedro Alejandro, Djordje Djurasinovic, Joshua Orue, Grodetzki, Leak, Osorio, and Romero have helped GGC post 38 victories, capture the 2025 Continental Athletic Conference tournament title, and advance to two NAIA national tournaments.
 
Coach's Corner
"It was a good convincing win. After a scrappy first half, we were better with our attack in the second half. We were very good defensively (allowing two shots). This is now three shutouts in a row for us," said Head Coach Steve DeCou.
 
Turning Point
Junior Jean Malilo was able to draw a foul inside the 18-yard box during the 61st minute to be awarded a penalty kick for the Grizzlies. Senior Francisco Osorio calmly drilled the penalty shot into the back of the net to give the team an elusive 1-0 advantage. GGC would add two more goals within a three-minute span later in the second half to pull away for the home victory.
 
Goals
61' – Francisco Osorio, GGC (Penalty kick)
76' – JJ Grimaldo, GGC (Erin Leak)
79' – Oliver Northam, GGC (Gabriel Martins)
 
Inside The Numbers

• Georgia Gwinnett outshot Thomas by a 13-2 margin
• Five of the Grizzlies' 13 shots were on goal
• Senior Francisco Osorio scored his third penalty-kick goal of the season
• GGC attempted five corner kicks across Saturday's 90 minutes of action

News & Notes

• Georgia Gwinnett improves to 8-4-1 in 2026; Thomas drops to 6-10-0 this fall
• The Grizzlies have won three matches in a row – all by shutout
• GGC has an 11-4-1 lead in the series history against the Night Hawks, including a 6-0-1 mark in matches played in Lawrenceville
• Seniors Pedro Alejandro, Djordje Djurasinovic, Gal Grodetzki, Errin Leak, Joshua Orue, Francisco Osorio, and Dagoberto Romero were honored on Senior Night

Up Next
Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to host No. 11-ranked Lindsey Wilson University (Kentucky) on Wednesday, October 21, at the Grizzly Soccer Complex, starting at noon.