‘Cats start new shutout streak on road
The Bobcats were honored for their outstanding play this season with a No. 21 national ranking earlier this week, the first time in GCSU soccer history that the team has been included in the nation’s top 25.
The team was thus challenged to defend their new ranking, starting with a tough matchup on Saturday, Oct. 11 against their first-year coach’s former team, Newberry College. The nonconference game proved to be a battle of well-matched teams, as the 0-0 result after double overtime showed.
The defense recorded their eighth shutout on the season, but the Bobcat offense was thwarted by a stout Indians back line. The Newberry players seemed to feed off their emotions of facing their former coach.
“That game was one of the most interesting of the season, it was such a personal game for them,” junior defender Morgan Cobb said. “They basically did everything they could to keep us from scoring.”
The result was the third scoreless tie for the Bobcats this season and did not affect their conference standing, but perhaps prepared the team for their next challenge, another road battle. This time the opponent was the University of South Carolina at Aiken in a Peach Belt Conference matchup on Wednesday night, Oct. 15.
Based on their records heading into the game, the Bobcats appeared to be heavy favorites, but the Pacers would not go quietly, holding their own for much of the game.
The first half was frustrating for GCSU, as several offsides calls cancelled golden scoring opportunities.
“Our goal every game is to score in the first five minutes. We just couldn’t find it this game, but we had so many chances,” Cobb said. “The ref was flag-happy, as Coach (Favero) said.”
The challenge for the Bobcats became converting just one scoring chance, because the brick-wall defense GCSU is known for showed up against Aiken and negated any and all offense the Pacers tried to muster.
“They never got inside our 18 (yard box),” Cobb said. “We did a great job keeping them out of our half and not letting them build up.”
Going to halftime scoreless against a low-ranked opponent could have gotten into the heads of the Bobcats, but they put the Pacers away early in the second period by sophomore sensation Kayla Emerson. Her goal would be all GCSU needed this night.
The defender-turned-forward has exploded in her second year as a Bobcat, and scored several crucial goals when the offense has struggled.
“Kayla is so awesome. When she plays (offense), I am thinking, ‘where did this girl come from and why did she play defense for a year?’” Cobb said. “She has definitely found her home on the field.”
Emerson’s current totals of four goals and four assists give her 12 points, good for second on the team behind senior forward Hayley Ferrell. Emerson has also recorded at least one point in seven of the last eight games.
The 1-0-1 week has the Bobcats sitting at 9-1-3 overall and 3-1-1 in the PBC, tied for second with the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, trailing only top-ranked Columbus State University. UNCP holds a head-to-head advantage after beating the Bobcats 1-0 earlier this season. GCSU will face CSU in the final game of the regular season on Nov. 1.
This week, the Bobcats have their work cut out for them when they travel to Lincoln Memorial College for a nonconference matchup on Sunday, Oct. 19. The Railsplitters are 10-1-1 and recently defeated Newberry 2-1.
The final home game of the season will be on Wednesday, Oct. 22 against Clayton State University. The game starts at 7 p.m., and this will be Senior Night.
Posted by Colonnade Archives
on Oct 17 2008. Filed under Sports.
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