With less than two minutes remaining in the game, sophomore Reagan Glisson scored a goal to give Georgia the 1-0 win over San Diego on Sunday in the Virginia Tech Tournament held at Thompson Field.
“We brought energy defensively and created scoring opportunities,” head coach Billy Lesesne said. “Fortunately right at the end there, we got the one that counted. I thought San Diego was organized and they defended really well. Their goalkeeper had a great game. Eventually, our pressure gave us opportunities and it was nice to finally get a goal at the end.”
Freshman Dani Murguia, who assisted Glisson’s goal, made her starting lineup debut against the Toreros, bringing the total number to six freshmen that started for the Bulldogs during opening weekend.
Georgia created opportunity early, taking three shots in the first 10 minutes of the game and continued on the attack. Six out of eight shots for the Bulldogs were on target, but the scoreboard remained clean after the first half, only allowing four shots to San Diego.
Georgia continued its attack and controlled the ball throughout the remainder of the game. Collectively, the Bulldogs took 19 shots with 14 on goal. Glisson took four shots, while Murguia, Delaney Erwin, and Katie Ralys all took three shots.
“It was the greatest feeling I’ve had in a really long time,” Glisson said about scoring the goal. “A lot of us had chills. It was just the winning feeling- having that again- and there’s many more to come from here. We’re a completely different team and we’re going to take this season by storm.”
The Georgia defense held the Toreros to nine shots and freshman goalkeeper Emory Wegener made four saves to keep San Diego scoreless.
“Every game is different and you can learn from each game,” Lesesne added. “We talked to the team about things we saw Georgetown do (in Friday’s game)- their backs stepping in front and winning balls- and I thought we did a nice job of that today. We translated some of the things we saw in the previous game and applied it to today’s game. We have some film to watch and areas to improve in because we have another tough weekend ahead of us, but I think the team is growing. That’s what we’re looking for. They’re young, aggressive, and working really hard. I’m really pleased that we got the outcome we were looking for.”
The home opener for the Bulldogs is scheduled for Friday, August 24 against Indiana at 6 p.m. on the SEC Network. Admission to the Turner Soccer Complex is free.