DECATUR, Ga. – University of South Alabama freshman Brenna McPartlan scored early in the second half to give the Jaguars the only goal they would need in a 1-0 victory over Georgia State Sunday afternoon at the GSU Soccer Complex.
The Jags snap a five-game losing streak and win their Sun Belt Conference opener to improve to 3-5 and 1-0. The Panthers drop to 2-7-1, 0-2.
GAME FACTS
- The teams went into halftime scoreless after an uneventful first half that saw the Jaguars outshoot the Panthers 4-3, including 3-2 on goal
- It took just over four minutes for McPartlan to break the deadlock; the goal, her second of the season, came on a free kick from 25 yards out
- Three minutes later, freshman Moa Öhman's shot was saved by Lydia Fraga
- In the 69th minute, a shot from freshman Morgan Cross hit the target but was saved by Fraga
- McPartlan put another shot on goal at 86:48 and a minute later, junior Briana Morris hit the post
- Junior Justice Stanford made four saves for her second shutout of the season and 20th of her career
- Fraga allowed the one goal and had six saves
- The Jags outshot the Panthers 10-9, and put seven of their shots on goal
- McPartlan was credited with three shots, all on target
NOTES
- South Alabama has started 1-0 in league play five consecutive seasons
- Stanford's clean sheet is the 20th of her career, moving her into a tie for first in school history with Sarah Hay, Melissa Drish and Kelsie Langford
- Both of McPartlan's goals this season have come on set pieces
- USA is 52-6-4 in all games against Sun Belt teams since the start of the 2013 season
- South Alabama leads the series with Georgia State 10-2-1 and has won eight in a row; GSU has scored just two goals in the losing streak
THEY SAID IT
Head Coach Richard Moodie
Overall thoughts: "It was a scrappy game at times but for us, when we haven't played in a week, I thought we looked really good.