Birmingham AL - Friday and Saturday, October 11 and 12, Gordon State soccer travelled to Birmingham, Alabama for a pair of matches against high-caliber opposition. The Highlanders hit the road in search of quality opposition to help prepare them for the rigors of postseason play and they were not disappointed.
Friday afternoon the Highlanders squared off against Holmes Community College. Both sides were eager to challenge the other and create goal scoring opportunities. The Bulldogs opened the scoring first but were quickly pulled back by freshman Ashley Hendrix equalizer. The Bulldogs would go into halftime with a 2-1 lead following a penalty kick late in the first half.
The second half started brightly for the Highlanders who came just short of levelling the score again after a smooth build-up in play that resulted in freshman Gaby Arellano slipping freshman Jennifer Beharie into the penalty box where she was ultimately denied. The Bulldogs were able to add to their lead and defeat a tireless Highlander team 4-1.
Saturday Gordon State looked to rebound against Jones County Junior College in a match-up of two teams that both look to possess the ball and break their opponents down. From the start the Highlanders demonstrated that they were up for the fight. The Highlanders impressive attacking movements coupled with a relentless defensive work rate was too much for the Bobcats. The Highlanders leading goal-scorer on the season, Alex Chapman, paced Gordon State with a pair of beautiful goals from the left side of the field. Each goal involved Chapman getting free on the wing and curling delicate shots into the far right-hand corner of the net over the outstretched hands of a helpless goalkeeper. With Chapman's 10th and 11th goals on the season GSC beat the Bobcats 2-0.
After the matches this weekend GSC improved their overall record to 11-2-2. The Highlanders return to GCAA Region 17 play at home against Georgia Military in the third meeting between the two sides this season. The first match was a wild affair that involved the Highlanders scoring three goals in the final 15 minutes to tie the Bulldogs 3-3 in Milledgeville. The second match finished as a 2-1 victory in Barnesville for the Highlanders. The two sides will play at 7:00 PM Tuesday in Barnesville.