University of Georgia Athletics
Georgia Soccer Defeats Georgia State 1-0
September 21, 2007 | Soccer
ATHENS, Ga. The University of Georgia soccer team (6-1) defeated in-state rival Georgia State (4-2) by a 1-0 score Thursday evening in Athens. The game was televised nationally on Fox Soccer Channel. The only goal of the game came off the foot of sophomore forward Carrie Patterson (Atlanta, Ga.) as she stole the ball in the penalty box on a defensive miscue by the Panthers and slotted home what turned out to be the game-winning goal just six minutes into the game.
“Three good things came out of this game for us,” said Georgia head coach Patrick Baker. “We somehow managed to get the win, we kept a clean sheet and we stayed injury free. Other than that, the way we played tonight was shocking. I don’t think I have ever been in a game at Georgia where we played more balls out of bounds or straight to our opponents. We did some things tonight that I have not seen here in a long time, it was disappointing. We have to get better in a hurry.
“We definitely have to credit Georgia State’s effort tonight,” continued Baker. “They are a good team that plays with passion and heart, and they have some personality players that can make a difference. I think they will have a very good year.”
Patterson’s goal marked her fourth on the year and was also her second game-winner of the 2007 campaign.
Georgia outshot the Panthers 17-5 overall but only put five of those shots on frame. Georgia State managed two shots on goal. The Bulldogs took seven corners in the game, all in the first half, while GSU had four attempts from the corner. Fouls were even at seven apiece.
Georgia’s sophomore goalkeeper Michelle Betos (Flushing, N.Y.) logged her second solo shutout of the year and her third overall as she combined with junior Courtney Cripps in the 3-0 blanking of South Florida earlier this year. Betos made two saves Thursday night while her counterpart for Georgia State, Heidi Blankenship, saved four of Georgia’s five efforts on goal.
GSU’s best scoring opportunity may have come in the second half as Kay Harbrueger fought off the Georgia defense down the right side of the field and into the penalty box, managing to blister a near-post attempt from no more than six yards out, but Betos was up to the task, making a two-handed save to clear the danger.
Georgia gets back into action Sunday, Sept. 23 as they travel to Macon, Ga. to take on Mercer.
Additional quotes from players and coaches:
Head Coach Patrick Baker:
On the way the team played:
“We are a young team and I think we showed some youthful innocence tonight. Our coaches and our players know that it certainly could have been better. That being said, we were able to stick on in early and we held on from there for the win.
“I don’t remember a game in my two and a half seasons here where we played the ball out of bounds more times, it was shocking. All we needed to do was keep it in bounds or take a touch and find a better option. I wish I knew what the problem was tonight, we would have corrected it, but it just seemed contagious out there. It was a frustrating game.”
On the defense logging its third clean sheet:
“I think we have only given up three goals this year in the run of play and on two of those three we had possession and gave the ball away with no pressure on us. It is good to know we aren’t letting our opponents get many clean looks and quality efforts on goal, it is definitely a positive. Our defense, and our team as a whole, is learning all the time, every game has been a different scenario that we are learning to deal with. Another positive is that we are finding ways to win when we are not playing our best. It certainly could have been worse tonight.
“It is always great to get a win first and foremost, but one of the things we always talk about is the importance of getting a shutout. Our back four continues to play well. Natalie Farley made her second start and played all 90 minutes at right back, Michelle made a great save in the second half and held onto some balls in traffic. I think the defense did a nice job.”
On the team’s next step to get ready for Mercer:
“Having to play Sunday in Macon and take the bus down that day could be difficult. The first thing we need to do is watch ourselves on tape, see some of our decision making and try to correct it. Some of our players logged a lot of minutes in Los Angeles and tonight as well so for those players it will be more about preparing mentally while recovering. For some other players that saw limited time, they will have to keep themselves sharp physically. Hopefully we can put forth a better collective effort Sunday.
On the play of sophomore Olivia West:
“I thought Olivia was definitely a bright spot in what was a bit of a dull game tonight. She came in and gave us some pop, made things happen and made the players around her better. It would have been nice to have a couple other players out there tonight play the way she did.”
Junior defender Megan Tomlinson:
On getting the victory:
“It is always good to be 6-1 with one non-conference game left before we start SEC play. But, I think we could have played a lot better. We definitely didn’t play our game tonight. We just have to get back in and watch video and try to learn from this.”
On the defensive effort:
“In the second half they came out a little more direct and at one point they put four up front. We did well to communicate, hold them out of the box and clear the ball.
“I think our trip out to California was big for us. The game against USC was a very defensive game and we stepped up and played well. We learned a lot about our back line then and I think our chemistry has grown even better. Our communication is good and we are learning to play well together back there.”