After clinching the four-seed with a win over Georgia Southwestern on Nov. 2, the GCSU Bobcats looked to advance through the Peach Belt Conference Tournament, beginning with a quarterfinal match-up against five-seed Clayton State University Lakers on Nov. 9.
Coming into the game, the Bobcats had previously played the Lakers earlier in the season, resulting in a tie game, zero to zero.
Having not won a post-regular season game since 2019, in which the team made the championship game, the Bobcats women’s soccer team was looking to flip the script against Clayton State University, ranked No.10 in the NCAA Division II Southeast Region.
“Securing the fourth seed was a major achievement for our team, marking the first time we’ve been able to host a game since I’ve been here and the first time since 2015,” said Sara Schultz, senior public health major and forward on the women’s soccer team.
With each soccer playoff game being elimination-based, every goal scored is vital to the team in terms of the scoreboard and how it impacts team morale.
The Lakers began scoring at the Bobcat’s field with a goal from Lakers’ forward Carrie Consolino, who would finish the day with another shot on goal and five shots in total.
This would conclude scoring in the first half; however, besides the 1-0 lead Clayton State had over GCSU, the Bobcats led in almost every other category, having four corner kicks and eight shots at halftime.
“Being able to play at home first round with a big crowd of fans cheering for us helped keep our energy high during the game,” said Chloe Markey, a senior economics major and center back on the women’s soccer team.
Chloe Markey, who helped lead the Bobcats to a victory the previous week over Georgia Southwestern State University, took home the title of Peach Belt Conference Defender of the Week.
“I’m super happy to have been chosen as Defender of the Week, but it’s bigger than just me,” Chloe Markey said. “I think it goes to show the strengths of our defense as a team.”
Chloe Markey demonstrates that their success stems from not only their talent but also their team chemistry, allowing them to come back from behind as they did in their game against Clayton State.
It took 15 minutes after the beginning of the second half for the Bobcats to tie the game with a rebound shot by Ava Martin off of an initial shot from Lily Markey, which provided Chloe Markey with an assist.
With the game now tied, both needed to play shutdown defense, knowing that the next goal would likely send their team to the succeeding tournament round.
For the remainder of the half, both teams followed through with how they needed to perform defensively, putting pressure on their opponent and continuously knocking the ball away from their side of the field. That is until the final eight minutes of the game.
Clayton State’s goalkeeper, Tuva Etterlid, defended her goal, making nine saves in ninety minutes; nevertheless, the Bobcats broke through.
Substitution defender Sydney Charles, who entered the game late in the first half, helped set up a goal for forward and midfielder Aralyn Everett.
Charles broke away from the Lakers’ defense down the far side of the field, making a solid shot on goal. The Lakers’ goalkeeper blocked the ball beautifully in a diving stop until she let go for a split second, giving Everett enough time to kick the ball into the back left corner of the net.
“We showed real resilience and determination, fighting hard to score two goals in the second half,” Schultz said.
This would lead to the end of the season for the Clayton State Lakers, as the Bobcats were able to hold them off for the final few minutes.
“We could have been better in some areas and aspects, but there’s always room for improvement.” Said Grace Phillips, a graduate MIS major and attacking midfielder on the women’s soccer team.
The women’s soccer Bobcats were set to play on Friday, Nov. 15 against Columbus State, the top-ranked NCAA Division II Southeast Region opponent.
The Cougars advanced to the next round after beating the University of South Carolina Beaufort 9-2.
“As the lower seed, we have nothing to lose; the pressure is all on them, and we are hoping to take advantage of that and win,” Lily Markey said.
The Bobcats must “Bring the Thunder” to Columbus to move to the next round.
