University of Georgia
Furman
Soccer Earns 4-0 Road Victory Over Furman
September 14, 2014 | Soccer
Highlights and Interviews with Steve Holeman, Marion Crowder and Bella Hartley following Sunday's win.
Sept. 14, 2014
GREENVILLE, S.C. --- The Georgia soccer team got two first-half goals from sophomore forward Marion Crowder on its way to a 4-0 victory over border rival Furman on Sunday evening at Stone Soccer Stadium in Greenville. The victory came after the Bulldogs' Friday night contest vs. Mercer was cancelled due to lightning in the Athens area.
The Bulldogs conclude the non-conference portion of the 2014 campaign at 5-1-1, while Furman drops to 5-2 with tonight's setback. Georgia has won four straight games to go along with three straight shutouts.
"First of all, I think we had a fantastic first half," said head coach Steve Holeman. "To play against a team like Furman and go into halftime leading 3-0 is absolutely fantastic. In the second half I thought they were the better team, but they're a fantastic team and they're certainly capable of doing that. We need to be sure we play for a full 90 minutes."
"I think we need to keep everything in perspective," Holeman said of the upcoming SEC slate. "Next up is Vanderbilt, and we get a day to rest and relax and think about how we can be better and learn from our success throughout the non-conference season. We still have work to do. We've made a lot of progress this season, but it's a process, and we're getting better every day."
Georgia got on the board first in the 15th minute as Crowder took a dish from Rachel Garcia and did not miss on her attempt, firing a laser to the upper 90 for her second of the season to give the visitors the 1-0 lead. With the goal, the Bulldogs have now scored first in all seven games this season.
The lead moved to 2-0 in the 22nd minute as Gabby Seiler fired a shot from the right flank that was saved and bobbled by the Paladin keeper, and Crowder was there to tap home the follow for her second of the night and third of the season. The assist credited to Seiler ensured that the sophomore has now had at least one point in seven consecutive games for Georgia - the longest such streak since the 2011 season.
Georgia added its third of the half when Seiler sent in a cross from the left, with Caroline Waters getting a head on it inside the six and the loose ball dropping to the foot of Bella Hartley for the one-time volley from the top of the 18. It was Hartley's first of the season, with assists going to both Seiler and Waters on the play.
At the intermission, the Bulldogs maintained the 3-0 lead while outshooting Furman, 12-3. The Paladins failed to get a shot on goal through the first 45:00.
The Bulldogs picked up where they left off early in the second half, as Garcia stepped in for a free kick opportunity from just outside the 18 in the 56th minute. Her low strike through the Furman wall was saved, but Lauren Tanner was there to follow the rebound to make it 4-0 on her second goal of the season as Garcia earned her second assist of the night.
Georgia had a great chance when Cara Smith had a left-footed shot go just wide from inside, and another opportunity came as Seiler had one saved from the left on a breakaway later in the frame.
With under eight minutes to go in the game, Smith fed Kelsey Killean for a shot from the left, but the keeper again came up big and kept Georgia from picking up its fifth score. Furman picked up the pressure in the second half, eventually pulling the shot total to 17-15 in favor of the Bulldogs by game's end, but was unable to find the back of the net as the Bulldogs collected the clean sheet on the road. It was the first time this season that the Paladins were shut out.
Georgia tonight improves to 7-0-1 all-time vs. Furman.
The Bulldogs return to action next Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. against Vanderbilt at the UGA Soccer Stadium. The game will be televised on the SEC Network, with additional free live audio coverage on Georgiadogs.com.
