Georgia (2-2-2) shut out Illinois (3-2-1) this Friday, with a goal in each half to clinch the victory. Illinois and Georgia took shots back and forth for the opening 45 minutes, but right before halftime, Georgia’s freshman forward Cayla Jackson netted the game’s first goal in her debut match. Starting the second half with a bang, the Bulldogs secured the game-winner, scored by graduate student forward Margie Detrizio in the 47th minute.
Both offensively and defensively, Georgia was able to control the game. In the first half, both teams were trading shots for the first 20 minutes, with Illinois forwards freshman Claire Murray, junior Sarah Foley and junior Lia Howard getting them off on target. Still, junior goalkeeper Jordan Brown knocked them away. Comparatively, the Bulldogs got seven off in the first half, one of which was Jackson’s goal at the 43-minute mark. The Illini midfield held the Bulldogs’ advances off well in between the 20 and 43-minute marks but unfortunately let the freshman slip through with a nice assist by sophomore forward Jocelyn Chinea, giving Jackson her first collegiate goal and Chinea her first career assist.
Despite being down at the end of the opening 45, Illinois and Georgia remained evenly matched in most other regards. Illinois goalkeeper redshirt sophomore Izzy Lee and Georgia’s Brown both made three saves, and both teams took two corners each, though no set piece resulted in a scoring opportunity.
Entering the second half, both teams made major substitutions, giving some much-needed rest to each of their forwards. These substitutions paid dividends for Georgia almost immediately as Detrizio scored just one minute after entering the game. From that point forward, Georgia continued to dominate offensively, with its midfield creating many more scoring chances. By the 90-minute mark, the Bulldogs had twice as many shots on Lee as in the first half (15). The game ended in the definitive favor of Georgia, with the team taking 22 shots this game, 10 of which were on target. In contrast, Illinois ended with under half that, with seven shots — only four on target — and none resulting in any points on the board for the Illini.
The keepers proved vital in this game. Lee recorded eight saves this game — her highest of the season and collegiate career to date. Brown saved four of Illinois’ attacks, making this a record game for the junior, notching her 15th career shutout and 150th career save.
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While the Illini were not able to pull off a win, their midfield performance from the first half will surely go down as an improvement, and their defensive line remains solid. Looking forward, the team will need to do better in creating chances and connecting the midfield to their strikers.
The Illini will look to turn things around Sunday at 1 p.m. CST when they face off against Mercer in Macon, Ga. It will be the first-ever match between the two programs.
