Box Score COLUMBUS, Ga. – The Georgia College Soccer team (6-10-2) took the fight to defending Peach Belt Conference (PBC) Champion Columbus State University (13-6) Tuesday night, falling in a 1-0 road bout in the PBC Quarterfinal round.
The No. 5-seed Bobcats battled the chill of the nighttime contest and a perennial power in the No. 4-seed Cougars, nearly taking the squad to the limit. The lone goal came in the 68th minute, when Kimmy May made good on a penalty-kick attempt for her eighth goal of the season.
"The girls played well, they handled a lot throughout this rollercoaster of a season," said head coach Tinna Gallagher. "We peaked at the right time and finished the season well; we were just unlucky with the result. We had a gameplan and the girls stuck to it well, but it changed with the PK. These Bobcats are very coachable and hard-working, and I'm going to miss these seniors."
The two teams reached halftime tied 0-0 despite the Cougars out-shooting GC 12-0. Freshman goalkeeper Kate Richardson (Marietta) rose to the challenge of her first postseason action, including a diving stop of a penalty-kick attempt with 15 seconds left in the first half to preserve the shutout.
GC took the reins after the halftime break, out-shooting CSU 5-4. The Bobcats fired off two shots late after falling behind, but couldn't find the equalizer. Richardson finished with five saves on the night.
The Bobcats see the 2019 campaign come to a close, a year in which Georgia College welcomed a new soccer coach with a hard-fought season. Junior forward Cassie Balzano (Douglasville) was a big highlight, finishing with 11 goals, tied for third in a single season effort in GC history. The Bobcats also put eight on the PBC Team of Academic Distinction
The Georgia College Department of Athletics, two-time winners of the PBC Commissioner's Cup and the 2017 PBC Sportsmanship Institution of the Year, 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 Twitter and Facebook for up-to-the-minute reports, and visit GCBobcats.PhotoReflect.com to purchase photo prints from home athletic contests.
