‘Cats crush Chargers, extend streak to three
The GCSU soccer team extended its winning streak to three games this weekend, improving to 3-0-1 on the season. The game was the team’s first in a week, due to a rainout of their Thursday game.
The Bobcats were scheduled to face the University of Montevallo Falcons in a home game at West Campus on Sept. 11.
Unfortunately, the game was cancelled due to adverse weather conditions. No makeup date has been announced.
The team finally got on the field on Sunday to play their fourth game of the season, a road battle with the University of Alabama Huntsville Chargers. The weather threatened to affect play, but calmed just before gametime.
“It was a small miracle that we got the game in. It was raining very badly, but luckily it stopped,” Head Coach Juan Favero said. “It was cool to see the team get the whole game in.”
Once the game got going, the Bobcats struck early. In just the fourteenth minute, a shot from senior forward Hayley Ferrell found the back of the Charger net, off an assist from junior Jamie Nevin and freshman Leah Frazer. The play gave Ferrell her fourth goal of the season, Nevin her fourth assist, and Frazer her second.
Sophomore goalkeeper Mary Rob Plunkett made three saves to keep the Huntsville Chargers from scoring any goals in the first half. The UAH goalkeeper, Bethany Ensley, snagged two shots to end the half with the Bobcats in the lead at 1-0.
The Bobcats took the field for the second half determined to keep the lead and earn a victory against the Chargers. The Bobcats got on the scoreboard early again, with a goal from an unfamiliar source.
In the fifty-fourth minute, freshman midfielder/forward Megan McAlpin gave the Bobcats a two-goal cushion with an assist from senior midfielder Mary Byrne. The goal was McAlpin’s first as a Bobcat, and the assist was Byrne’s second of the season.
“It was so exciting scoring my first goal,” McAlpin said. “I had the biggest smile on my face. I was looking around for a person to hug.”
Ferrell struck again in the seventy-fourth minute, scoring her second goal of the game and fourth of the season, an unassisted effort, to make the score 3-0 in the Bobcats’ favor.
After the dominating shutout, Favero was pleased but maintained that the Bobcats have not earned anything yet.
“We are moving in the right direction,” he said. “We were able to score more goals, and dominated by controlling them defensively. They weren’t much of a threat for most of the game.”
This summer, Favero revealed the team’s nickname to be the “sleeping giants”, because the program was poised to show its true potential this season. Now, the team has followed the logical progression of this metaphor.
“Our theme we play by is ‘awaken giants’,” Farrell said, “and with conference play coming, it’s time to step it up.”
The Bobcats are on the road again Saturday, Sept. 20, when they open PBC play against The University of North Carolina at Pembroke. The Braves are currently 6-0 and will provide the toughest test for the Bobcats thus far.
“I think that the team will be ready to play in North Carolina”, Favero said, “We have time to prepare, but it is not an easy task. We are looking forward to seeing them face-to-face and we’ll be ready for the conference opener.”
Posted by Colonnade Archives
on Sep 19 2008. Filed under Sports.
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