FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Contact:  Robert Preston, Jr.,
              912.260.4276
              robert.preston@sgc.edu

SGC Men Fall to Young Harris in First Round, Wrap ’09 Soccer Season

The SGC men’s soccer team saw its season end in the first round of the conference playoffs with a 2-0 loss to the Young Harris Mountain Lions on Wednesday, Oct. 28.

The Tigers dominated the first half and had a number of scoring chances, but couldn’t find the back of the net. “I knew this would come back to haunt us,” said head coach Ken Kirsch. In the second half, SGC made two mistakes and YH capitalized on both to win. “I was very pleased with our effort and play but once again the turnover bug and mistakes led to our demise,” said Coach Kirsch.

The first-round loss ended an up and down season for the Tigers’ program. SGC went 8-8-1 in Coach Kirsch’s first season. “I think we were about two games behind were I felt we should have been,” noted Kirsch. “We had some young players who took more time to figure out the nuances of the college game. It’s a bit faster, there’s more pressure, and limiting mistakes is key to success,” he added. The Tigers got off to a blazing 4-0-1 start to the season but lost some close games in the middle portion of their schedule. Near the end of the season, they found their game and went 3-3 in the final six games to finish up. “This season was about gaining experience, not only for my players but for me as well. We had to install a new style and system meshing a unique blend of soccer backgrounds among the players in a short amount of time. I felt it came together, but perhaps a bit too late,” said Kirsch.

First Team All-Region Felipe Nascimento led not only the team in goals and points but the region as well. “Felipe was our offense, when he scored we were in every game,” said Coach Kirsch. A silky smooth player who knows how to find an open net, he finished sixth in the nation in points. The mid-field was led by Second Team All-Region Joel Salazar. “He was a good leader for us this season and most consistent player all year,” said Coach Kirsch. The defense was anchored by freshman center back Jon Michael White and steady outside back Tyler Albritton. Kirsch brought in 21 freshmen in 2009 and should return a strong nucleus for the 2010 season. “I would like to thank the sophomores who will be leaving us after the spring but I believe we have a solid foundation of returning men for 2010. With players like Felipe, Joao Mendes, Matt Sutton, and Jon Michael White returning, we expect to be much more consistent and better for next season. We are about three or four impact players away from being extremely competitive in this conference,” said Kirsch. Sutton and White were All Region Honorable Mention.

The Tigers’ spring season will begin in January. The men will travel to Florida for games against Stetson University and Flagler College. Also, the Tigers will play at Berry College, Savannah College of Art and Design, and Thomas University.

In the women’s game, the Lady Tigers soccer team ended the season with a good effort but lost to Middle Georiga 0-1 ending their season with a 4-9 mark. “We had a depth problem all season, but I was very pleased with how we ended the year with some very strong games,” noted Kirsch. The Lady Tigers were led all season by Jody Bethune, who scored eight goals and added five assists on the year. Ellie Schultz was the captain and leader on the field as well. “Ellie was a great leader all season. She led by example and was our most consistent worker. We will miss her for next season,” said Kirsch.

Besides depth, offense was an issue all season as the Lady Tigers could only muster 16 goals for the year. “We will address our offense in the off-season and try to get some dynamic forwards in for our 2010 season,” added Kirsch.

The Lady Tigers will return up to 12 players for 2010, but Kirsch intends to recruit very hard for the 2010 class. “I feel we are about five players away from being competitive in every game in this conference. We have a set plan for our recruiting this upcoming year and we will try to bring in the best players to make us much better next season,” said Kirsch.

The women’s soccer team will play in several seven-on-seven tournaments in the spring and SGC hopes to host at least two tournaments in the spring.
 

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About South Georgia College

South Georgia College (www.sgc.edu) was founded in 1906 and is a two-year institution in the University System of Georgia. Located in Douglas, Ga., the college's environment gives students exceptional opportunities for interdisciplinary study and close collaboration with faculty.