The Georgia State Men’s soccer team’s Sun Belt opener against Hartwick ended in a 2-1 defeat.
Panthers midfielder Rashid Alarape grabbed his third goal of the season, but Georgia State was unable to prevent a Hawks comeback.
The first half began with an early goal. After Hartwick had called Panthers goalkeeper CJ Cochran into action with a save in the 5th minute, the Panthers struck.
In the 7th minute, Panthers midfielder Eddie Wilding won the ball deep, dribbled up the pitch and passed to find Alarape. Alarape rushed past his defender to slot home one on one with the Hawks goalkeeper.
The Panthers didn’t enjoy the lead for long, with the Hawks equalizing in the 19th minute. A cross from the right was headed into the net, making the score 1-1. Panthers forward Andy Anglade had a shot saved before the close of the half.
The Panthers began the second half strongly, with forward Jake Bingham seeing a header go wide in the 48th minute. The Panthers pushed for the winner, but were unable to find the net. In the 69th minute, Hartwick struck for the winner.
A shot deflected off the post, and Hawks player Jhevaughn Beckford tapped in the rebound. The Panthers fashioned three more chances, all off-target. Panthers goalkeeper Cochran made two saves to keep the score 2-1, where the game finished.
The team’s next match is Oct. 28 at Duke.
