Bobcats garner first NCAA Tournament trip among other great moments
With a 13-3-4 record, best in the program's history, a 5-1-2 Peach Belt record, also best ever, and with several team and individual records broken, there is no doubt that GCSU Soccer has become an elite program recognized Nationally with it's first NSCAA National Ranking as well as it's first-ever NCAA National Tournament Appearance.
In perspective, this was truly an amazing season not just in the historical context of the program, but for any program at any time: A dominating team defense which was on top of the national statistics, being nationally ranked and making the NCAA tournament is a great year for any team and especially for a five-year old program in the middle of it's first coaching transition.
After a tough pre-season schedule, the season started with a 0-0 tie against Belmont Abbey, not the way coaches and players would have envisioned, but in the second game against perennial regional powerhouse Tusculum College, a 2-1 win gave the team much needed confidence boost.
Two more wins against non-conference opponents and a 3-0-1 record meant the team's first appearance in the NSCAA Regional Ranking, an honor maintained through the end of the season.
The team's first conference match against UNC Pembroke would prove to be a test since UNCP was ranked in the top-10 nationally and undefeated. In an accident-filled game, UNCP would break through at the end of the half and hand the Bobcats its first loss of the season, and what would be the only regular season loss of the year.
A four-game winning streak including a 1-0 win at home vs. Lander, preceded a much anticipated match against Armstrong Atlantic, who had been in the NCAA Tournament the last two years. After going down an early goal, the Bobcats showed much character and were able to score two goals before halftime. It seemed the score would hold up until the last minute of play when AASU scored a tying goal to send the game into OT, but neither team was able to break the deadlock.
In the next six games, the Bobcats posted a 5-0-1 record, including four key PBC wins leading to the last regular season contest at Columbus State. CSU had already clinched the PBC Championship, and GCSU could finish no higher than third place, its highest finish ever, but the game was a defensive battle, in which the tough GCSU defense provided its 12th shutout.
The Conference tournament brackets were set and the Bobcats beat Lander 2-0 in the first round to set up a rematch with UNC Pembroke in the semifinal in Evans, Ga. In a game where the Bobcats were out playing their opponents, a "fatal five minutes cost us the game," said Favero referring to a missed penalty kick for the Bobcats and allowing two goals right after that. A late tally off a corner kick proved to be too little. So could this great season have come to an end .... GCSU would have to wait three long nights and two days to find out if their 13-2-4 record would be enough to get an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament.
On a Monday afternoon, as the team gathered in the locker room, the announcement was made and the team exploded with joy and emotion. The Bobcats had done it ... they were on their way to the first-ever NCAA appearance and would face Catawba College, a team Favero was familiar with from his days in the South Atlantic Conference.
The game started well for the team with the run of play and early scoring chances clearly on their favor. One of those clear chances was capitalized halfway through the first half on a goal by sophomore Kayla Emerson. The second half saw the momentum change and a couple of missed clearances led to the tying tally by Catawba. The uncharacteristic defensive lapses would prove to be the undoing of the team as in the first OT period, a similar play would lead to the last goal the team would allow in 2008, and with it the end of an incredible season.
NCAA STATS
Bobcat goalkeeper Mary Rob Plunkett
finished ninth in all of NCAA Division II in save percentage at
.886. Sophomore netminder was also 10th in goals against
average at 0.469
The team was eighth in GAA at 0.478, adding a No. 9 slot in shutout percentage at .650. Georgia College was No. 9 in save percentage at .881, with the Bobcats' .750 win percentage also 26th in the NCAA.
HONORS
Georgia College also landed its first players on the NSCAA
All-Region Team, as senior forward Hayley Ferrell
and junior defender Morgan Cobb earned slots on
the Southeast Region squad.
Ferrell and Cobb joined five other Bobcats on the All-PBC teams, as sophomores Jessica Binkowski, Plunkett, Ally Treat and Kayla Emerson joined freshman Karen Bonilla with all-conference honors. Junior Kara Teresi and freshman Megan McAlpin were named to the PBC All-Tournament Team.
The Bobcats got it done in the classroom as well, as senior Beth Coughlin and Binkowski were selected to the ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District Team. Coughlin, Jamie Nevin, Treat, Binkowski, Lyric Burnett, Jeni Day, Kelli McLane, Plunkett and Ferrell were also selected to the first Peach Belt All-Academic Team.
The Bobcats also picked up a team academic award through the NSCAA and the National Ethics/Sportsmanship honor from the same organization.
