Two second-half goals lifted the Georgia State University women's soccer team to a 3-2 come-from-behind victory over Tennessee Tech in Cookeville, Tenn. on Sunday.
Down 2-1 to start the second half, Georgia State struck only three minutes into the second stanza when junior forward KayHarbrueger gathered a through ball from midfielder Caroline Harvischak and placed the ball in net to tie the match.
After Tennessee Tech found themselves down a player from an ejection, Georgia State scored the game-winning goal in the 77th minute when senior forward Nathalie Carter gathered a long leading pass from Harbrueger and struck the ball into net.
“This was a very important game for us before the conference schedule begins,” said Georgia State University head coach Domenic Martelli. “We learned how to come from behind today and how to fight to maintain that lead once we had it. They battled hard after we came back, but our girls did a great job of holding them off.”
Georgia State (5-2-0, 0-0-0) struck first in the contest when Carter one touched a Kristen McKillop free kick into the net in the 23rd minute.
However, Tennessee Tech (1-5-2, 0-0-0) reclaimed the advantage in an evenly matched first half when the Golden Eagles scored two goals to close the half.
Tennessee Tech matched Georgia State's first goal five minutes later when Ashley Smith gathered a misplaced header and rifled the shot just under the cross bar in the 28th minute after a free kick. Twenty minutes later, the Golden Eagles would claim a one-goal advantage when Katie Hoover drilled a low free kick from just outside the 18-yard box around the Georgia State wall and into the net.
The first half of play was evenly matched, with each team having seven shots, but the Panthers took control of the second half when they outshot Tennessee Tech, 11 to one, and had seven second-half corner kicks to one for the Golden Eagles.
Carter led Georgia State offensively and tallied five shots, while Harbrueger had four and freshman Stephanie Cuccia shot three times. Kara Vezza recorded two shots coming off the bench and four Panthers each had one shot.
Freshman Heidi Blankenship started her second consecutive game in goal and recorded two saves and senior Megan Macdonald played the second half.
The Panthers begin their conference schedule next Friday, September 28, when they head to Harrisonburg, Va. to take on James Madison.
