STATESBORO, Ga. – The Georgia State men's soccer team extended its winning streak to four matches with a 2-1 win over in-state rival Georgia Southern Friday afternoon in Statesboro, Ga. The Panthers are 5-5-1 this season and unbeaten in their last six matches.
“We did not play our best soccer today,” head coach Brett Surrency said after the win. “I give full credit to the guys, because they found a way to win. I also want to give credit to Georgia Southern, who did some really good things. Ultimately we are very pleased to get the win and I am proud of the guys.”
Georgia Southern created the first scoring chance of the match in the 4th minute. Nick Lane fired a shot on goal, but Georgia State goalkeeper CJ Cochran made the save. The Eagles threatened again in the 10th minute, but Cochran was able to make the save on Witt Carlisle's attempt.
The Panthers responded with two scoring chances of their own in the 17th and 19th minutes. However, Georgia Southern goalie Neal Bates saved both shots by Amiri Abraham and Bo Stroup, respectively.
After forcing Cochran to make a pair of saves over the next 20 minutes, Georgia Southern grabbed a 1-0 lead just before halftime. Carlisle got behind the Panthers' defense and fired a shot past Cochran on a breakaway. After 45 minutes, the Eagles held the edge in shots and corner kicks taken.
GSU started the second half quickly, tying the score 1-1 in the 48th minute. Aaron Jones sent a corner kick into the box. Then, Conor Acheson headed the ball to Abraham, who fired a volley past Bates and into the back of the net. The goal was Abraham's third in his past five matches.
“Amiri has been given the opportunity to play and he has made the most of it,” Surrency said about the forward. “He is just a freshman but he continues to gain experience. He keeps improving and he is playing really well right now.”
Georgia Southern forced Cochran to make a pair of saves over the next 15 minutes to keep the score tied 1-1. In the 73rd minute, Andy Anglade scored his first career goal to give GSU a 2-1 lead. Anglade dribbled the ball into the box and fired a shot into the back of the net past Bates.
The Eagles continued to attack over the final minutes, but Cochran and the Panther defense were able to secure the win. GSU's Cochran gets the win and improves to 4-5-1 this season. He finished with nine saves on 16 shots faced. Georgia Southern's Bates recorded five saves on 18 shots.
The Panthers return to the pitch Tuesday, Oct. 15 when they travel to face the Central Florida Knights in Orlando, Fla. Match is set to kickoff at 7 p.m. ET.
“We are on a nice streak, but we have to manage our players,” Surrency about the upcoming match-up. “We have three games in five days and we know that UCF is a great team. We will have to show up and play. We are confident in our teams ability, and we will continue to take it one game at a time.”
