Georgia Dominates GSU, Completes Weekend Sweep

Sunday, September 11

Athens, Ga.

2:00 PM

University of Georgia

Georgia State

Alexa Newfield wrapped up her weekend with four goals.

September 11, 2011 | Soccer

Sept. 11, 2011

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ATHENS, Ga. --- The Georgia soccer team posted a 4-1 victory over in-state rival Georgia State Sunday afternoon at the UGA Soccer Stadium to improve to 5-2, winning its fourth straight.

The Bulldogs were again paced by sophomore forward Alexa Newfield, who contributed two goals and two assists for a six-point outing. Senior Ashley Miller set the tone for the day with her goal just 42 seconds in and Georgia continued rolling from there. The Bulldogs used the win to pick up another weekend sweep after downing Mercer in overtime Friday night by a 2-1 score.

"We wanted to focus on the first five minutes and we came out and did it," Miller said. "We talked about that since the Mercer game and how we needed to keep it going. We're very excited to see what's to come."

The Bulldogs got off to a fast start with a nice combination of passes from Susannah Dennis and Newfield that led to the Miller goal just 42 seconds in. It was the quickest score for Georgia since the 2009 season, when All-American Carrie Patterson scored 35 seconds into the season opener against Kennesaw State.

Georgia kept the pressure on when freshman Jenna Owens played a great ball down the sideline to Miller, who then found Newfield at the top of the 18. Newfield slotted home her shot in the lower left corner for her first tally of the afternoon.

The Bulldog defense held up its end of the deal in the first half, refusing to allow a Panther shot until there was 21:50 left in the first half.

Madeline Barker got the third goal of the day in the 40^th minute when Newfield hit a corner and freshman Tori Cooper headed it on to Barker, who knocked it home. That 3-0 score is where it stood at halftime, marking the first time Georgia scored three in a first half since the Kennesaw State game back in 2009.

The Bulldogs came out from the half and continued to control the game, with Newfield collecting her second score of the day in the 54^th minute off of a cross from Owens - who earned her second assist of the day on the play.

But Georgia State didn't go quietly, picking up a goal in the 86^th minute when Kierra Nelson got her first goal of the season after following up a rebound off the post.

Newfield comes away with a stellar weekend, totaling four goals including the game winner on Friday vs. the Bears. She is now the owner of the last three multi-goal games for Georgia, two coming this weekend and one last season vs. Alabama.

"Our objective was to start fast," head coach Steve Holeman said. "Not only that, but to also not let up when we scored because we've done that twice this year. The great part about it is we got goals two and three before the half. We're getting better every day, and we're making progress and that's what you want to do. We took a huge step today."

Next up the Bulldogs travel to UNC Greensboro to take on the Spartans and former assistant coach Steve Nugent Sept. 16 at 7 p.m. With that Georgia will seek to get closer to the 200-win mark as the Bulldogs now own 195 all-time.