Newark, Del.--A goal in the 89th minute was enough to end the Georgia State men's soccer team's five-match unbeaten streak as the Panthers fell at Delaware, 1-0, Saturday night.
GSU (5-2-1, 0-1) goalkeeper C.J. Cochran once again made several key stops throughout to keep the match scoreless until the waning minutes. His diving, finger tip save at the 3:29 mark helped fight away a golden chance for Delaware to take an early lead.
The Panthers fought back in the second half after starting slow in the first.
"I thought we played a great second half, we created a lot of opportunities," GSU head coach Brett Surrency said. "We had some chances and we just couldn't put them away."
The Panthers also had chances to strike first in their Colonial Athletic Association opener, starting with junior Eric Lawrence ripping the match's first shot just 44 seconds in. Senior Ayokunle Lumpkin followed with GSU's first chance on net at the 2:55 mark. Lumpkin also missed a one-on-one opportunity when he couldn't chip a ball past Delaware goalkeeper Kris Devaux after he broke in on goal alone.
Sophomore forward Roberto Gimenez broke through with the first goal of the match at the 88:03 mark. Delaware (6-0-1, 1-0) fought off a late corner kick from the Panthers in the 90th minute to seal the victory.
Lumpkin put four shots on net as the Panthers ripped nine shots compared to Delaware's 14. The Blue Hens held a slight 7-6 lead in corner kicks.
"At the end of the day we traveled to Delaware to get a win, but I was pleased with the way we showed up in the second half," Surrency said. "We created good chances and showed a lot of energy, those are the positives we can take away from this game."
The Panthers travel to Raleigh, N.C. for their final non-conference match of the season against NC State on Tuesday. GSU is winless against the Wolfpack in two matches.
"NC State is a tough ACC opponent," Surrency said. "It will be a good opportunity for us to get back as soon as possible after a tough loss on Saturday. We'll find a way to regroup and get back on the field and have a positive turnaround."
Visit www.GeorgiaStateSports.com for a preview as the Panthers look to bounce back at NC State on Tuesday. Check back before the match for a link to live stats and afterwards for a full recap and box score.
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