Monday's NAIA men's soccer top-5 ranked showdown lived up to its billing as No. 2-ranked Georgia Gwinnett College and No. 5 MidAmerica Nazarene University (Kansas) went down to the wire to conclude this weekend's Labor Day Grizzly Classic at the Grizzly Soccer Complex.
In the end, a goal by MidAmerica Nazarene's Amaro Piaggio in the 43rd minute was the deciding factor in a 1-0 contest.
The Grizzlies (3-1-1) outshot the Pioneers (2-1-1) by a 9-6 margin, but the visitors had a 5-3 advantage in shots on goal after 90 minutes of competitive action.
Scoring chances were few and far between for either team. Junior
Djordje Djurasinovic led the hosts' offensive effort by attempting three shots, including an effort that was saved by MidAmerica Nazarene goalkeeper Lennart Fischer in the 20th minute.
Freshman
JJ Grimaldo placed another shot on goal in the early minutes of the second half but once again Fischer was up to the challenge.
A pair of headers from senior
Errin Leak and junior
Pedro Nunes sailed right of the opposing goal in the final six minutes of the match as GGC frantically searched for the tying goal.
Senior
Pedro Alejandro joined Djurasinovic and Grimaldo in attempting one shot on goal for the Grizzlies.
Senior goalkeeper
Dagoberto Romero recorded four saves, with two saves coming in each half on Monday.
Coach's Corner
"The match had a postseason tournament flavor to it. A lot of questions were asked and it came down to them capitalizing on a moment late in the first half. We were just unable to finish in the final third (of the pitch). Hopefully, we learned our lessons today so that by the postseason we're ready. This team has a lot in them. We're going to be fine," said Head Coach
Steve DeCou.
Turning Point
MidAmerica Nazarene broke the scoreless deadlock late in the first half when Amaro Piaggio buried a shot from 15 yards away along the left side into the lower right corner of GGC's goal. The Pioneers limited GGC to just three of its nine shots being on goal for the match.
Goals
43' – Amaro Piaggio, MNU (Vladimir Buljan and Frederik Brunen)
Inside The Numbers
- The Grizzlies outshot MidAmerica Nazarene by a 9-6 margin
- Senior goalkeeper Dagoberto Romero made four saves, including two during each half on Monday
- GGC attempted five corner kicks across Monday's 90 minutes of action
- Junior Djordje Djurasinovic attempted a match-high three shots
News & Notes
- GGC is now 3-1-1 this fall; MidAmerica Nazarene improves to 2-1-1 in 2026
- The Grizzlies were No. 2 in the first regular season NAIA Top 25 poll; MidAmerica Nazarene stood No. 5 in the same poll
- The match marked the first meeting between the two colleges
- Monday's contest concluded the Labor Day Grizzly Classic
Up Next
Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to travel to Campbellsville University on Friday, September 11, in Campbellsville, Kentucky, starting at 3:30 p.m.
