GC soccer defied all odds, taking down the No. 1 ranked soccer team in the nation, Catawba College, after junior forward Sara Schultz scored the go-ahead goal with less than four minutes left in the game.
Going into the match, Catawba had a perfect record of 14-0, while GC was 7-6-2. This strong record from Catawba helped rank them No. 1 in the United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division II Top 25 poll. While Catawba has been placed in this poll all season long, this was the first week the team was ranked No. 1.
“Going into the game, we as a team had a lot of different feelings and emotions,” Schultz said. “When I got on the pitch, I honestly just kept reminding myself that there was nothing to lose and go out there and play like I know how to without all the nerves.”
GC was able to start the game off strong with a goal by sophomore forward Abbey Eison a little over a minute after the first whistle. Not long after, Catawba was able to put themselves on the board after the Bobcats fouled in the box, resulting in a penalty kick for the Indians, tying the game 1-1.
Both teams battled back and forth but were unable to score. With 4:33 left in the match, junior forward Morgan Amrozowicz was able to make a clear pass to Schultz. Schultz then moved past the Catawba defender to put the game-winning shot in the left side of the goal.
“It was unbelievable,” said Sarah Charney, a sophomore goalkeeper. “She got the ball, a shot opened up and we just knew she was going to take it. Next thing we know, the ball rolled over the line, hit the back of the net and we went ecstatic.”
Many GC players have described this moment as a true underdog story. Charney further explained how the team knew they were not favored at all to win this game due to the great season Catawba was having, but that did not stop them from playing their hearts out.
This goal by Schultz may have only been her third of the season, but the importance of it helped her bring home the title of GC’s Zaxby’s Player of the Week.
“When I went into the game, my mindset was to play like there was nothing to lose,” Schultz said. “Scoring the final goal was the best feeling because I had been frustrated with a couple close misses in the previous game, so having that goal go in at a time when we very much needed it was surreal.”
This is Schultz’s first season with the Bobcats, as she played at Gordon State College her first two seasons. So far, Schultz has played nine games up top for the Bobcats.
“She has worked so hard this season,” said Chloe Markey, a junior defender. “She has been a great player from the get-go, but her confidence on the field has greatly improved since she got here, which has helped her improve.”
While Schultz is not a starting player for the Bobcats, this late game-winning goal shows how valuable she can be off the bench.
