ATLANTA – Behind three second-half goals, the Georgia State men's soccer team topped North Florida 4-1 en route to the Panthers first win of the season. Freshman Jad Elkhalil bagged the game-winner in the 71st minute before Aaron Jones and Amiri Abraham added goals of their own to secure the comfortable victory.

“Tonight's win was massive and it feels amazing” head coach Brett Surrency said after the big win. “We have been positive within the team but we have started slowly this year. No one was panicking but it was still important for us to score out first goal. From there we wanted that momentum to carry us to our first win and now hopefully we can build on this victory going forward. Hopefully we have more of these to come.”

GSU took a 1-0 lead in the 10th minute on an own goal by Osprey defender Diogo Quirino. The Panthers played a dangerous ball of the top of the North Florida defense and Quirino tried to head the ball to his goalkeeper but there was miscommunication and the ball went past the keeper and rolled into his own net.

Both teams continued to attack over the next 20 plus minute but it was North Florida who scored to tie the match 1-1 after 32 mintues. A low cross from the left was deflected around in the box. The ball fell to Christian Pedroza, who fired a low shot into the bottom left corner.

The Panthers had two more chances in the final five minute of the half but both shots were too high.

• At the break Georgia State held a 4-2 shot advantage and took both corner kicks of the first period but both teams were level on the scoreboard.

GSU started the second half fast forcing North Florida keeper Juanes Fajardo to make a save on a dangerous header by Conor Acheson in the 52nd minute. Jad Elkhalil nearly found the back of the net on the ensuing rebound but his shot was deflected and rolled harmlessly wide of the left post.

The Panthers finally grabbed a 2-1 lead in the 71st minute when Jad Elkhalil scored his first career goal for Georgia State. Stephen McGill found Elkhalil, who was able to get past the last defender and beat the goalkeeper with a low shot.

“Jad did tonight what good strikers do, they only need one chance,” Surrency said about the freshman. “He got himself into a good position, the ball fell to his feet and he put it away. He has been peppering the goal all season and he needed that one to get the monkey off his back. We expect Jad to be a very good player for us, not just this season but in the years to come.”

Two minutes later, GSU doubled their lead when Aaron Jones curled a perfect free kick around the wall and into the top right corner of the net from just outside the 18-yard box.

However, the Panthers were not done. In the 76th minute, Amiri Abraham took the ball from the right wing, dribbled past four defenders to the top of the 18-yard box and then fired his shot over the keeper's head and into the top right corner to give GSU a 4-1 lead.

“Both of those goals were earned through hard work on the defensive end and that was the beautiful thing about them,” Surrency said. “It is easy to preach hard work but it is a lot easy for them to buy in when they see the fruits of their labor. That goal was great for Amiri because he needed that. As for Jones, that is what he does. Set pieces are his forte. Whenever he is standing over a set piece we expect it to go in.”

North Florida had one final chance in the 89th minute but it went begging and Georgia State clinched the 4-1 win.

• GSU dominated the second half. The Panthers had the majority of procession and outshot North Florida 9-5.
• Overall in the match, Georgia State took nearly twice as many shots (13-7) and four more corner kicks (5-1).
• CJ Cochran earned his first win of the season for GSU after recording two saves on seven total shots faced.
• The Panthers improve to 1-3-0 this season while the Ospreys drop to 2-3-0.
• Georgia State returns to the field on Tuesday, Sept. 16 to host Presbyterian. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. at the GSU Soccer Complex.