Highlanders Advance to GCAA Championship

Jennifer Beharie opens the scoring for the Highlanders with this blast in the first half. Beharie finished with 2 goals and 3 assists
Jennifer Beharie opens the scoring for the Highlanders with this blast in the first half. Beharie finished with 2 goals and 3 assists

Barnesville, GA - Following a nine day break Gordon State soccer returned to action Tuesday night in the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association semi-finals.  The Highlanders played host to ABAC, cruising past the Fillies for a 10-0 victory. With the win, GSC will host Georgia Military College, who were 3-1 winners over South Georgia State College, Thursday night for the conference championship. 

The first half started slowly for the Highlanders as they worked to shake to the rust off and break down a packed-in Fillies defense. Jennifer Beharie opened the scoring for GSC in the 19th minute when she picked up a loose ball in the midfield, dribbled past several defenders and sent a rocket through the goalkeepers hands. Just four minutes later, Beharie slipped Ashley Hendrix in behind the Fillies defense on the left side of the goal where Hendrix doubled the Highlanders lead. The remainder of the first half was played without either team finding the back of the net. 

With the start of the second half, the Highlanders came to life. Within minutes of the kickoff, Hendrix scored her second goal of the match off an assist by Brittany Colangelo. Moments later the score was 4-0 when Jersie Stephens finished off a goal after an assist from Izzy Vazquez. As the Highlanders poured the pressure on, the floodgates opened. In all seven different Highlanders scored a goal. Ashley Hendrix led the way scoring her first hat-trick of the season. Jennifer Beharie scored two goals and provided assists on three others. Jersie Stephens, Gaby Arellano, Izzy Vazquez, Stephanie Hahn, and Hailey Hadsell each scored a goal. 

To punctuate the impressive win for the Highlanders, GSC held ABAC without a shot for the third time this season. The victory sets up a match-up between GSC and GMC for the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association Championship for the third successive season. In 2017, the Bulldogs prevailed and in 2018 the Highlanders took home the trophy. Now, the two will meet in Barnesville Thursday, October 31 at 7:00.