University of Georgia
Alabama
Georgia Falls, 3-1, in Physical Battle at Alabama
October 13, 2016 | Soccer
BOX SCORE
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. --- Georgia soccer (4-10-1, 1-7 SEC) falls, 3-1, in a hard fought, physical battle to Alabama (8-6-1, 3-4-1) at the Alabama Soccer Complex on Thursday night.
"It was a tough game tonight," Georgia head coach Billy Lesesne said. "Alabama scored the early goal and it was nice to respond and tie things up. Unfortunately, we gave up a penalty kick late in the first half and they won the battle of the boxes in the second half, where it really matters. We fought hard, but we did not get the result we wanted."
Alabama took an early 1-0 lead after a corner kick in the second minute of the game.
The Bulldogs answered in the sixth minute after a free kick from Mariel Gutierrez was headed by Caroline Waters for the finish, marking her first goal of the season, third of her career.
Georgia and Alabama shared the pitch for most of the first half, with both teams getting quality looks on goal. The Crimson Tide regained the lead in the 36th minute on a penalty kick and carried the 2-1 advantage into the locker room at halftime.
Georgia and Alabama each took shots to open the second half before the Crimson Tide was able to capitalize in the 51st minute to extend its lead 3-1.
The physical battle continued through the final whistle with both teams committing 12 fouls each.
The Bulldogs and Crimson Tide were even in shots during the final 45 minutes, with Alabama owning a 7-5 advantage in shots on goal throughout the game.
Georgia returns to Athens and will close out its home schedule with back-to-back games at the Turner Soccer Complex on Thursday, Oct. 20 against Ole Miss and on Sunday, Oct. 23 against Missouri. The game against Missouri will serve as Senior Day for the Bulldogs and be broadcast live on the SEC Network.
HOW TO FOLLOW GEORGIA SOCCER: For complete information on Georgia soccer, follow the team on its social media channels via @UGASoccer on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
