The Georgia State men’s soccer team fell 2-0 to the Central Arkansas Bears on Senior Night at the GSU Soccer Complex.
The final home game for seniors Kyle Clinton, George Rodriguez, Frank Rosenwald and Alex Summerfield saw the Panthers drop to 9-4-3 on the season and 1-3 in the Sun Belt Conference.
The first goal of the match came in the 38th minute from Bears forward Niklas Brodaki, who received a long ball and headed it past keeper Paul Tyson. Soren Jensen provided the assist via a well-taken free kick.
The Panthers would continue to fight throughout the first period, earning five corner kicks and 12 total on the night.
However, Central Arkansas remained dominant throughout the second half, scoring in the 85th minute on what Panthers head coach Brett Surrency called “horrific defending.”
Of the four seniors who played Saturday night, only Clinton played the full 90 minutes, while Rosenwald played a respectable 75.
The loss also marked the first match this season that the Panthers were held scoreless, as they had netted at least one goal in their previous 15 appearances.
Although the men’s team played their final match at the GSU Soccer Complex, they still have one last outing of regular-season play left against Appalachian State on Nov. 9, where they’ll look to return to their winning ways.
So what did we learn?
Our Seniors Will Be Missed
After playing their final home game, four integral players competed for the final time at the GSU Soccer Complex.
Both Clinton and Rosenwald saw significant playing time on the night, while Summerfield and Rodriguez served as substitutes.
Clinton spoke about his journey with the Georgia State and the transition from playing in England after the game.
“It was a quick decision for me, coming to another country,” Clinton said. “Living in Atlanta has been brilliant; I couldn’t have asked for more.”
Clinton also praised his teammates and coach.
“I love the boys; I love playing with them,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed playing for [Coach Surrency] a lot as well.”
Nothing But Love From Coach Surrency
Coach Surrency praised his seniors for not only their play on the pitch, but their attitude off of it as well.
“Overall great people, first and foremost,” Surrency said. “Obviously, they’ve done a lot for us on the field, but they’re just good people. I think the world of them.”
Composure is a must
A spotty offensive performance and underwhelming defensive style left the Panthers missing one crucial aspect of winning: composure. With just two of the team’s 12 shots falling on frame, the Panthers could not compose themselves in times of desperation, something Surrency noted after the game.
“We got the ball in some decent areas,” Surency said. “I don’t think we had much composure around the goal, we probably should have done better.”
The Panthers will need to regain their composure and convert more shots on target as they face off against Appalachian State in their final match of the season.
