Taking advantage of a fortunate bounce in the final 10 minutes, No. 6-ranked Truett McConnell University (Georgia) came away with a 1-0 hard-fought home triumph against the No. 22 Georgia Gwinnett College women's soccer team on Saturday night in Cleveland, Georgia.
Joanna Funes found the back of the net in the 84th minute after receiving a pass from Agathe Braud.
Truett McConnell (4-1-1) registered only five shots on goal throughout the 90-minute match, but its last shot was the difference in the evenly played match between in-state opponents.
GGC (4-4-0) outshot the Bears by a 12-9 margin, including a 9-5 edge during the second half.
The Grizzlies had a pair of shots strike the opposing crossbar during the second half while striving to break a scoreless duel. Freshman
Moa Koster hit the crossbar in the 48th minute and junior
Nova Eskelinen struck the crossbar with a shot in the 75th minute.
Then, sophomore
Hannah Lorenz had shots saved by Truett McConnell goalkeeper Noa del Rio in the 51st and 72nd minutes. She attempted a match-high four shots in Saturday's match. Classmate
Alliyah Rosales and Eskelinen each tallied three shots for the visitors.
Junior goalkeeper
Elle Sarter made four saves, with two coming during each 45-minute half.
The Grizzlies have outshot all eight opponents this season. Saturday's match was the team's fourth contest against a nationally ranked opponent.
Coach's Corner
"It hurts to play that well and lose at the end on an unfortunate bounce. But, if we play that well the rest of the year, we will be just fine," said Head Coach
Dr. Mike Giuliano.
Turning Point
Truett McConnell capitalized on one of its few scoring chances in the second half to net the only goal of the contest, coming in the 84th minute. The Grizzlies limited the hosts to five shots on goal in the match. However, Joanna Funes found the back of the net on the team's final shot on goal.
Goal
84' – Joanna Funes, TMU (Agathe Braud)
Inside The Numbers
- Georgia Gwinnett outshot Truett McConnell by a 12-9 margin, including a 9-5 edge during the second half
- Sophomore Hannah Lorenz attempted a match-high four shots
- The Bears attempted six of the seven corner kicks across the 90 minutes of action
- Eighteen different Grizzlies appeared in Saturday's road match
News & Notes
- GGC drops to 4-4-0 on the season; Truett McConnell improves to 4-1-1 this fall
- The Grizzlies were ranked No. 22 in the latest NAIA Top 25 poll; Truett McConnell stood No. 6 in the same poll
- Saturday's victory by the Bears gives them a 5-4-1 edge in the series history
- Georgia Gwinnett has outshot each its opponents this season
Up Next
Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to travel to No. 13 Southeastern University on Thursday, September 24, in Lakeland, Florida, starting at 7 p.m.
