The No. 5-ranked Georgia Gwinnett College men's soccer team travels to another in-state destination when it faces the University of Northwestern Ohio at the Dalton Classic on Thursday, August 27, in Dalton, Georgia, starting at 5 p.m.
The Grizzlies (1-0-0) scored a 5-1 season-opening triumph at SCAD Savannah (Georgia) last Friday.
Sophomore
Ousmane Fall registered his second career hat trick to lead the offensive attack. That performance led the forward to collect the first Continental Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week award of the 2026 season.
Junior
Pedro Nunes found the back of the net twice against SCAD Savannah. He tallied just one goal last season.
Classmate
Djordje Djurasinovic has attempted a team-high six shots and provided an assist in one of the team's first five goals. Senior
Pedro Alejandro also contributed an assist in the season-opening triumph.
Sophomore goalkeeper
Victor Darub made a pair of saves while playing all 90 minutes in front of the team's goal. He was named the CAC Goalkeeper of the Year in 2025.
Following Thursday's match, the Grizzlies will host their home opener against Southeastern University (Florida) for Green Out Day on Monday, August 31, at the Grizzly Soccer Complex, starting at 1 p.m.
Northwestern Ohio (0-2-0) opened the season with a pair of 3-0 setbacks to top-25 NAIA opponents in Grace College (Indiana) and University of Rio Grande (Ohio). Raul Oliu scored five goals and contributed eight assists across 19 matches last season for the Racers. Goalkeeper Jonah Day has made eight saves and started both matches so far this fall.
LIVE STATS
NATIONAL RANKING
Georgia Gwinnett College has opened the 2026 season ranked No. 5 in the NAIA Preseason Top 25 poll as selected by a nationwide panel of coaches. The ranking matches the highest poll placement in the program's 15-year history.
HATS OFF
Sophomore
Ousmane Fall scored a hat trick in last Friday's season-opening win at SCAD Savannah (Georgia) to earn the first Continental Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week award of the season. The forward found the back of the net on his only three shots in the match.
EFFECTIVE SHOOTING
The Grizzlies scored on five of their eight shots on goal in the match at SCAD Savannah. GGC outshot the season-opening opponent by a 22-10 margin.
SCOUTING THE RACERS
Northwestern Ohio (0-2-0) opened the 2026 campaign with a pair of 3-0 setbacks to NAIA top-25 opponents in Grace College (Indiana) and University of Rio Grande (Ohio). Raul Oliu scored five goals and contributed eight assists across 19 matches last season for the Racers. Goalkeeper Jonah Day has made eight saves and started both matches so far this fall.
SERIES HISTORY
Northwestern Ohio has collected the only win in a series that also features two draws across the most recent meetings. The two teams battled to a 2-2 deadlock during a neutral-site match in Kentucky during the 2024 season.
FOLLOW THE GRIZZLIES ON SOCIAL MEDIA
GGCAthletics.com will be home for all the current news and information regarding the men's soccer team throughout the fall season. Fans can watch all home matches on the Grizzly Digital Network. Download the GGC App to receive schedule updates. For the most up-to-date news and information follow GGC Athletics and GGC Men's Soccer through the following social media: X (@GGCAthletics; @GGC_MSoccer), Facebook (GGCAthletics) and Instagram (GGCAthletics; @ggc_msoccer).
