ATLANTA, -- Georgia State suffered a 1-0 defeat at home against Appalachian State on Thursday (Oct. 26) at the GSU Soccer Complex. Jaddah Foos had a season-high nine saves for the Panthers.
The Panthers began the game on a strong note, with Bree Barley and Aaliyah Faddoul both taking early shots, narrowly missing the net. Appalachian State, on the other hand, managed to produce the first two shots on goal. In the 10th and 11th minutes, they unleashed two powerful shots that Jaddah Foos had to make exceptional saves to deny.
The Panthers responded promptly with two shots of their own in the 12th and 13th minutes. The latter marked the first shot on target for the Panthers as Alondra Nieves unleashed a powerful strike that demanded a diving save from the App State goalie.
App State continued to unleash numerous shots on goal, with two forcing Jaddah Foos to tip them out for corner kicks. However, the persistent pressure eventually paid off, and in the 29th minute, App State delivered a cross into the box. A well-placed header found the net just beyond Foos, granting App State a 1-0 lead.
After App State's goal, the Panthers had an opportunity when Olivia Cohen's shot narrowly cleared the crossbar. In the 37th minute, Ana Diaz took a shot from outside the box, but the App State keeper made the save. App State resumed their offensive pressure, launching three shots, but Jaddah Foos expertly managed all of them – one to her left, one to her right, and one fired straight at her – to maintain the 1-0 score at halftime.
Similar to the first half, the Panthers opened the second half with the first two shots. The second shot, taken by Callee Maughon, forced another save from the App State goalkeeper. Jaddah Foos continued her impressive performance with two crucial saves in the 52nd and 62nd minutes of the game. Her save in the 62nd minute was particularly remarkable as she leaped to tip a ball just over the crossbar, preventing a goal.
The Panthers intensified their efforts to find the goal, and in the 77th minute, they came close to scoring when a shot from Bree Barley struck the crossbar and rebounded out for a goal kick. Aaliyah Faddoul attempted a long-range shot from outside the box, but it sailed just over the crossbar. In the 87th minute, the Panthers had one final shot on target when Bree Barley fired another powerful shot, but it was saved by the App State goalkeeper, maintaining the score at 1-0.
The game concluded with Georgia State leading in shots with a 15-14 advantage, but App State held the lead in shots on target, with a ten to four margin. The Panthers also led in corner kicks, with six compared to App State's four.
Georgia State dropped to 8-4-6 overall and 4-3-3 in Sun Belt play with the loss.
The Panthers are set to make their return to the pitch next week for the Sun Belt Conference Tournament in Foley, Alabama.
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