11-15-15
COLUMBUS, Ga. | Just as it had looked like the sixteenth-ranked University of North Georgia women’s soccer had found a way to take down rival-Columbus State, the nation’s third-ranked team scored two goals in the final 16 minutes to hand the Nighthawks a heartbreaking loss and end the team’s season at 16-4-1.
The two teams battled through a scoreless first half that only saw a total of five shots, four of which were taken by North Georgia. Strong defensive play continued into the start of the second half until Madison Salters found Rachel VanHorn at the top of the box and VanHorn put a shot past the diving Columbus State keeper to get UNG on the board first in the 69th minute.
The Cougars proved their worth in crutch time finding a way to score in two of their only three attacks in the final 21 minutes of the game. Cassandra Wade was there to finish a great low cross from Chelsea Person that just barely avoided the North Georgia backline, giving CSU the equalizer in the 75th minute.
North Georgia would own the next 10 minutes of play everywhere except for the scoreboard. The Nighthawks had almost continual possession taking three shots in that span with two being just inches away from giving UNG the lead once again. An offside call on the Nighthawks in the 86th minute gave the ball to Columbus State and allowed the Cougars to make one last push towards goal.
CSU was awarded a corner kick in the next minute and Olivia Jarrell scored on a header off an original header by Shelby Rolling, barely beating out UNG keeper Mallory Sayre who was attempting to knock the ball out of the box.
VanHorn got one more crack at the goal in the 89th but her shot missed just high and the Nighthawks would not find another clean look in the final minute of play.
NOTES
– For the fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, North Georgia has been knocked out in the Second Round. UNG has advanced through the first round each time but has come up just short of the Sweet Sixteen the last two years.
– UNG’s lead taken in the 69th was the first time North Georgia had led Columbus State in 428 minutes of play dating back to UNG’s last victory against the Cougars in 2013.
– With a record of 16-4-1, the 2015 UNG squad finishes with an impressive winning percentage of .788, the second highest in school history. The only season the Nighthawks saw a better winning percentage was in 2011 when the program went 16-3-1 and made their first-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament.
– The 2015 seniors finish their careers with an impressive 60-18-6 (.750) record. The 60 wins equals the previous best set by the 2014 senior class, with each class making three trips to the NCAA Tournament. This year’s seniors are the only group to make multiple appearances in the Peach Belt Championship Game.
STAT OF THE GAME
2 – While the Nighthawk defense played tremendously, only allowing Columbus State to take seven shots the entire game – a team that was averaging over 22 shots per game this season – the Cougars were incredibly efficient on their only two shots on goal, scoring on both occasions.
