BARNESVILLE, Ga. – Gordon State Soccer battled from behind most of the night in its game with Georgia Military College, but eventually fell 3-2 in overtime to the Bulldogs for their first loss of the spring 2021 season here Wednesday night.
The Highlanders fell behind twice – 1-0 and 2-1 – but leveled the score each time before finally succumbing to a GMC goal in the 5th minute of overtime.
Wednesday's setback marks the first loss in Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association (GCAA) action for GSC since a 1-0 defeat to GMC on October 19, 2018.
The action started quickly when the Bulldogs took the lead in the third minute of the game on an unassisted goal by Annah Norman – only the second goal allowed by GSC this season.
That early blow appeared to awaken the Highlanders, who struck back 12 minutes later when sophomore Gabriela Arellano (Miami, Fla. / John A. Ferguson Senior HS) evened the score at 1-1.
Freshman Madison Schmucker (Cape Coral, Fla. / Ida S. Baker HS) got behind the GMC backline, passing the ball to Arellano, who scored her second goal of the season.
The remainder of the first half was a see-saw affair with both teams creating chances.
The Bulldogs were the first team to convert one of those chances when they scored on a broken play in the penalty area in the 39th minute on a goal by Carson Griffin for a 2-1 halftime lead.
In the second half, the Highlanders began to assert themselves applying greater pressure on the Bulldogs. The sustained pressure resulted in multiple opportunities for GSC to score on breakaways only to see them either missed or defended by the GMC goalkeeper, Havyn Isaac.
The Highlander determination was rewarded in the 79th minute when freshman Emma Lovell (Tavernier, Fla. / Coral Shores HS) drove past the Bulldog defense and found freshman Sophia Kotopka (Riverview, Fla. / East Bay HS) in the middle of the penalty area.
Kotopka's precise first touch set her up to fire the ball into the far post for her Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association (GCAA) leading 8th goal of the season.
With the score knotted at 2-2, the teams continued their battle into overtime. The finishing touch fell to GMC (1-1-1 overall, 1-0-1 GCAA) in the 5th minute of overtime when Giselle Funes scored unassisted, bringing the contest to an end with the 3-2 outcome.
With the result, the Highlanders have an overall record and GCAA record of 3-1 and resume play on Saturday when they host the South Georgia State Hawks at 4 p.m. ET.
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The Gordon State College Department of Athletics is a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) and Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association (GCAA). Gordon State College competes in NJCAA Division I in the sports of Women's Soccer (Fall), Men's Basketball (Fall/Spring), Softball (Spring) and Baseball (Spring). Gordon State College is located in Barnesville, Ga., approximately 60 miles south of Atlanta and 35 miles northwest of Macon. Gordon State College offers both two-year and four-year degree programs and believes that our Athletics program provides student-athletes with the opportunity to be successful academically, athletically and in life after their time as a Highlander. Follow GSC Athletics at www.gscathletics.com, on Facebook (@Gordon State Highlanders) and Twitter (@state_ad / GordonStateAD). You can also follow Gordon State College on Facebook (@GordonStateCollege #GSCHighlandersForward), Twitter (@GordonState) and Instagram (gordon_state).