HATTIESBURG, -- Georgia State suffered a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Southern Miss on Thursday (Oct. 5) at the Southern Miss Soccer Complex, despite a goal by Alondra Nieves, which marked her fourth of the season.

The Panthers launched a strong start in the first half, managing to fire off four shots within the initial 30 minutes of play and securing three corner kicks during the same time frame. Their defense also held Southern Miss to only two shots and one corner during the first 30 minutes of play.

Georgia State took the lead in the 38th minute when Alondra Nieves received a throw-in and unleashed a powerful strike from outside the box that sailed past the goalkeeper, giving the Panthers a 1-0 advantage. The team had another promising opportunity in the first half when Nieves broke through the defense and located Ines de Lope Casanova, who narrowly missed the target as her shot sailed just over the top of the goal.

At the intermission, Georgia State enjoyed a one-goal lead, having taken six shots compared to Southern Miss' two. The Panthers led in shots on target, with two to Southern Miss' one, and also held a slight edge in corner kicks, with three to Southern Miss' two.

In the second half, Southern Miss leveled the game at 1-1 with a penalty kick in the 51st minute and then took the lead 2-1 in the 76th minute with another goal. 

The Panthers displayed unwavering determination, earning five corner kicks in the final 12 minutes of the game. However, they were unable to capitalize on these opportunities due to the impressive Southern Miss defense. The match concluded with Southern Miss emerging as the victors with a 2-1 scoreline, snapping the Panthers' impressive five-game unbeaten streak and four-game winning streak.

Elena Diaz and Aaliyah Faddoul played pivotal roles, each registering two of the Panthers' six total shots. In goal, Jaddah Foos and Ariana Anderson recorded a save each, with both playing a half for the Panthers.

Georgia St. fell to 7-2-3 overall and 3-1-0 in Sun Belt play after the loss.

The Panthers are set to return to the pitch on Sunday, October 8th, when they face Arkansas State at home.

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