Courtesy of Austin O'Connor
Matthew Bell and teammates celebrating.
The No. 1 Marshall Men’s Soccer Team continued its season with a 2-0 win against the Georgia State Panthers on Saturday, Oct. 7. The victory extended Marshall’s winning streak to 11 games and maintained their unbeaten record. The team’s solid defense was once again on display, securing their seventh shutout of the season.
Head coach Chris Grassie credited his team’s defensive efforts for their success, highlighting the contributions of players such as Morris Duggan, Taka Fujita and Taimu Okiyoshi.
Grassie praised their ability to move the ball and make smart defensive decisions. Additionally, fullbacks Theo Godard, Alex Bamford and Rai Pinto were commended for their tracking and defensive work.
The game started with a defensive battle, but Marshall broke the deadlock in the 14th minute. Pablo Simon played a pass to Adam Aoumaich, who then set up Matthew Bell just outside the six-yard box. Bell made no mistake and slotted the ball into the back of the net, scoring his seventh goal of the season. Aoumaich and Simon were credited with their fourth assist of the season on the opening goal.
Goalkeeper Gabriel Perrotta made saves throughout the match to preserve Marshall’s lead. In the 35th minute, he made a crucial stop, and, just before halftime, he pulled off an impressive save with three seconds remaining. Perrotta ensured that Marshall went into halftime with a 1-0 advantage.
In the second half, Perrotta continued his play to deny Georgia State any chance of a comeback. In the 67th minute, Marshall extended their lead when Alexander Stjernegaard played a give-and-go with Aymane Sordo, who finished with a well-placed shot for his second goal of the season. Stjernegaard earned his third assist of the campaign on the play.
Perrotta’s performance earned him his 6.5th shutout of the season and his 11th win. Perrotta has lowered his goals against average of 0.37 and a save percentage of .867.
No. 1 Marshall is back at Hoops Family Field on Friday, Oct. 13, against Coastal Carolina at 7:15 p.m.