GC soccer came up short in their senior day game versus conference rival North Georgia. The Bobcats lost 3-1 in a game they never had the lead.

The Bobcats started out strong offensively with an early shot on goal by redshirt-junior midfielder Ellie Watson that missed high. From that point on, the Bobcats were mainly on the defensive side for the remainder of the game. It was a busy day for the defense as the offense had just eight more shots on goal after their first look early in the game.

The only goal the Bobcats tallied was a penalty kick scored by freshman forward Ava Martin in the 50th minute of the match.

Martin’s mental approach is a big contribution to her having success.

“I think you must have an attacking mindset, especially when we were trailing 2-0, and ultimately just work hard to find a way to create an opportunity for the team,” Martin said. “This allowed me to draw a foul in the box which allowed me to get in the scoring column on Saturday against UNG.”

The Bobcats made a couple of mistakes on both sides of the ball. They had a few offside penalties called on them throughout the game and committed more fouls than they were used to making.

“I think from this game I learned that every moment counts,” Martin said. “Personally, I found myself offside more than normal and picking up a lot more fouls which wasn’t helping the team. I think just being more aware of those things going forward and how they really do affect the momentum of the game will be beneficial for my game as well as the team’s success in the future.”

Goalkeeper Kate Richardson saw a lot of action in the goal against UNG. Richardson had just one save in the first half but saw plenty of shots on goal from UNG. Richardson ended the game with three goals allowed and five saves on eight shot attempts.

UNG scored their first goal in the first half. Maysoon El-Shami put one in the back of the net past Richardson in the 18th minute. UNG’s two other goals came later in the second half, one being scored in the 48th minute just after the half, and the other came in the 86th minute to cap the game off.

The Bobcats have played a lot of tight games this season, they just haven’t been able to finish in a few of them. The team is currently 5-6-2 and they sit as the fourth seed in the Peach Belt Conference. They have a winning record in conference play, but the Bobcats need to do more if they want to make it deep into the postseason.

“I think we are right there,” Martin said. “We all believe in ourselves and each other to be at the top, and I think it’s just about us executing everything 100 percent as a team when it comes game time.