Box Score AMERICUS, Ga. – The Georgia College soccer squad (8-7-2, 6-4 PBC) netted a season-best six goals in a shutout of Georgia Southwestern State University (2-14, 0-11 PBC) Wednesday evening, clinching a Peach Belt Conference (PBC) playoff spot. The victory marks a milestone as Bobcat soccer gets its first season with six PBC wins.
The Bobcats got two goals in the first half and four more in the second to blow away the Hurricanes.
Junior Sol Baldassini (Miami, Florida) scored first in the 10th minute, making good on a free kick opportunity. It took nearly 20 minutes for the Bobcats to double their advantage, but the second goal came from classmate Cayce Hamilton (Johns Creek). The junior's first goal of the season came with an assist from senior Ally Barys (Ladera Ranch, California).
The Bobcats wasted little time getting the second-half barrage started, as just 1:36 into the second half sophomore Rahliat Animashaun (New Orleans, Louisiana) scored for the first time this season.
Baldassini found Maddie Stephen (Norcross) with a cross at the top of the box, as Stephen scored her third goal of the season, making the score 4-0. In the 61st minute, junior Haley Tidwell (Macon) scored for the second-straight match with an assist from Animashaun.
Barys capped the scoring in the 73rd minute, a shot to the top left corner off a cross from freshman Unnbjorg Omarsdottir (Reykjavik, Iceland). Barys now has four goals on her senior campaign, giving her 15 in her career. Barys' career total is fourth in school history, just a pair behind Jamie Nevin (2009). Barys' 36 career points moves her into fifth in school history, passing Megan McAlpin (2011) with today's effort.
Jessica Catapano (Alpharetta) and Ashlee Graham (Decatur) split time in net, Catapano making two saves in the first and Graham four stops in the second.
The Bobcats are back in action Saturday, Oct. 31 at 1 p.m., traveling to Flagler College for the regular season finale.
The Georgia College Department of Athletics, two-time winners of the PBC Commissioner's Cup, sponsors 11 varsity athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level. As a Division II program, Bobcat Athletics prides itself on balancing the life of the student-athlete, evidenced by the teams' multiple appearances in post-season competition as well as documented academic success and community-service involvement. Sign up at @GCBobcats on all social media formats for up-to-the-minute reports, and visit GCBobcats.PhotoReflect.com to purchase photo prints from home athletic contests.
