ATLANTA – Stephen McGill scored with 36 second left to tie the match and again in double overtime to lead the Georgia State men's soccer team to a 3-2 come from behind win over UNC Greensboro Tuesday night at the GSU Soccer Complex. The Panthers extend their unbeaten streak to four matches and improve to 3-5-1 this season.
“It shows that the team has a lot of heart, and I am incredibly proud of them,” head coach Brett Surrency said about the Panthers' comeback win. “Our slow start has been well documented but that has never taken away from this team's belief and its effort. I can't say enough about the players tonight, I am so pleased and so proud. We fell behind twice, but the team came back to win in double overtime. It shows their resiliency and their never give up attitude.”
UNCG grabbed an early lead in the 11th minute when Brian Graham assisted on Noah DeAngelo's first goal of the season. Graham played a long pass over the GSU defense. Georgia State goalkeeper Tyler Prince was unable to control the ball and DeAngelo was able to fire it into the open net.
The Panthers tied the score in the 32nd minute on Amiri Abraham's second goal of the season. Aaron Jones sent a cross into the box, and Andrew Weber headed it on goal. Abraham outjumped the Spartan goalie, Stephen Moffitt, to the ball and was able to tap it into the net from close range.
Both teams continued to attack during the remainder of the first half but neither was able to score a second goal. At the break, GSU held the edge in shots (10-5) and corner kicks taken (5-2).
UNCG reclaimed the lead in the 62nd minute when Oddur Gudmundsson scored his first goal of the season. Graham passed the ball to Gudmundsson who was able to slot it past a charging Prince to give the Spartans a 2-1 advantage.
GSU pressed hard to score an equalizer over the next 25 minutes but the outcome looked bleak. Georgia State's final scoring chance came with less than one minute to play when the Panthers were awarded a free kick at the top of the 18 yard box. Stephen McGill fired a low shot towards the bottom left corner. Moffitt dove but was not able to stop the shot as it deflected off the inside of the post and into the net to tie the score 2-2.
After 90 minutes, the teams prepared for overtime. During regulation, GSU outshot the Spartans 18-10, including nine on goal compared to three for UNCG.
During the first 10 minutes of extra time, neither team was able to generate a quality scoring chance and the period ended with the score still tied 2-2.
In double overtime, Georgia State dominated procession and continued to attack in search of a game-winning goal. In the 108th minute, Abraham dribbled the ball down the right side and found McGill in the middle of the field with a pass. McGill then dribbled to the top of the 18 yard box, and he fired a shot past Moffitt into the top left corner to win the game for GSU.
“Stephen McGill has been really sick the past couple of days, but he stepped up and scored two great goals,” Surrency said about the junior's performance. “He is one of the team captains, and he stepped up despite how bad he has been feeling.”
Georgia State's Tyler Prince made his first career start Tuesday and earned his first career win. He recorded one save on 11 shots. UNCG's Stephen Moffitt gets the loss and falls to 5-5 this season. He finished with seven saves on 22 shots faced.
GSU will look to extend their unbeaten streak Oct. 8 when the Panthers host the Wofford Terriers. The match is set to kick-off at 7 p.m. ET at the GSU Soccer Complex.
“We have to keep this momentum rolling,” Surrency said about the upcoming match. “This win is definitely something we can build off of in respect to our confidence. The players understand what it takes to win now. They are absolutely drained but that can be the difference between a win and a loss. It is a small sacrifice to make for the feeling you get after a win.”
