JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville State soccer team concluded exhibition play with a scoreless draw with Georgia State on Sunday evening on the JSU Soccer Field.
The Gamecocks used Sunday's friendly as a dress rehearsal for the upcoming season that begins on Thursday, August 19 on the road in Tuscaloosa against Alabama at 7 p.m. on the UA campus. The season opener with the Crimson Tide will be streamed on SEC Network+, the online platform of the SEC Network, powered by ESPN. The Gamecocks will open the home schedule next Sunday with a matinee outing with the Tigers of Jackson State. Match time is set for 1 p.m. Admission is free to all JSU soccer matches and all home contests will be streamed on ESPN+.
The theme of JSU's second exhibition was the defensive effort. JSU and the Panthers combined for 15 total shots in the 90 minute, three period affair. The Panthers posted one more shot than the Gamecocks with an 8-7 advantage, but the Gamecocks created a couple of scoring threats to offset the shot total. In the last four meetings with GSU, neither team has scored.
"I was really pleased with our defensive shape and we really looked organized. The girls are leading out there and they are problem solving on the field, which is great to see. I thought we created some really good chances throughout the course of the game. Overall, I was very pleased," said head coach
Neil Macdonald.
In the preseason training, the Gamecocks have worked on the defensive effort which turns into creating chances on the offensive side of the ball.
"I think the good defense gives us a good platform to attack and you could see tonight that we had the best chance in the game, and we matched them in every category on the scoreboard<" added="">
Macdonald highlighted the play of sophomores
Gabriel Clarke and
Briana Eads.
"Gabby (Clarke) has these moments where she can take a player off the dribble and she is very dangerous. I think we have to get her on the ball more higher up the field in times. I though Briana (Eads) was outstanding and just a rock in the defense back there with some of her challenges in the air," mentioned Macdonald.
The attention now turns to the season opener against the Crimson Tide on Thursday for the Gamecocks.
"We have to get some work on our set plays and getting better at those and some attacking patterns and what can we do to be more creative in the final third of the field," said Macdonald.
