Box Score TALLADEGA, Ala. - A three-goal outburst in the middle stretches of the Talladega College men's Soccer match on Saturday afternoon proved just enough for the Tornadoes.
'Dega (3-2-1, 3-1-0 CAC) scored first and eventually built a 4-1 lead, but Georgia Gwinnett College (4-3-3, 1-1-0 CAC) cut the margin down to a 4-3 margin of victory for the Tornadoes.
Jalen Smiens opened the scoring for Talladega. In the 8th minute, it was Smiens who netted his first tally of the season to give the Tornadoes an early lead, but GGC leveled the score in the 18th minute on a goal from Antoine Ferez.
The score only stated even for the next five minutes and change, though, as in the 23rd minute,
Tavar Lawrence beat GGC goalkeeper Andreas von Muecke to put Talladega back in front 2-1, a margin the Tornadoes carried into the half.
Early in the second half, 'Dega scored twice in fairly rapid succession to open their margin. First, it was
Renato Itamouna who cashed in his first goal of the season in the 56th minute to give the Tornadoes a 3-1 lead, then just five minutes later, Lawrence registered his second of the match and fifth of the season to push the lead to 4-1. The margin left 'Dega with a three goal cushion and a half hour to play, and they needed all of that insurance.
GGC closed the gap to 4-2 in the 63rd minute on a goal from Emanuele Sordi, and then in the 75th minute, it was Ferez who again put the ball past
Ivory Smith to pull the Grizzlies within a single goal. Smith, though bounced back.
In the closing moments, the Grizzlies pressed in search of the tying tally, and Smith was equal to the task each time. The junior netminder from Burnt Savanaah, Jamaica made five key saves to preserve the lead, including two in the span of just 1:05. The Grizzlies did get one past Smith in the 84th minute, but the shot rang off the crossbar and stayed out as the Tornadoes took their third straight victory, 4-3.
Smith (2-1-1) earned the win in goal, as he yielded three goals but made 10 saves in total to defeat the Grizzlies and von Muecke (2-3-2) who allowed four goals and made only two saves.
The Tornadoes will be in action next on Friday, October 6, when they head to Flowood, Mississippi to take on Wiley College (Texas) (1-8) in a neutral site match at Liberty Park. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m.
