BU falls to Grizzlies in CAC Title Match

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. -- Hannah Lorenz scored twice for top-seeded Georgia Gwinnett College as the Grizzlies won their third-straight Continental Athletic Conference Championship, defeating the Bellevue University women's soccer team 4-2 on Tuesday afternoon.

With the victory Georgia Gwinnett improves to 10-5-5 and secures the CAC's automatic bid to the NAIA National Tournament which begins on Thursday, Nov. 20 at campus sites across the country.

Bellevue falls to 12-3-2 on the season and will leave their postseason fate in the hands of the selection committee. The Bruins sit 49^th in the latest RPI and 40 teams make the National Tournament field. The selection show will take place at 6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 14 where at-large berths and host sites are announced.

Hannah Lorenz put the Grizzlies on the board in the game's 12^th minute, scoring her seventh goal of the season. A Bruin defensive miscue on a back pass saw the ball come to Lorenz in space behind by herself about 25 yards from goal. A couple touches later, she slotted home the opening goal for a 1-0 lead.

Kathrine Lindenberg had a look from about 12 yards out to double the Georgia Gwinnett lead in the 21^st minute but her attempt was denied by BU goalkeeper Abril Cura to keep it a one-goal game.

Jade Perrin did eventually up the lead to 2-0 in the 33^rd minute, scoring her fourth goal of the season as she curled a free kick from the corner of the box inside the far post, perfectly placed for a 2-0 lead.

The Grizzlies had a couple more chances late in the half but could not add on while Bellevue was limited to just a single shot – off the foot of Mia Hurt in the 10^th minute when the game was still scoreless – in the opening 45 minutes.

Georgia Gwinnett out-shot Bellevue 6-1 and 3-1 on goal in the half while both fouls (6-6) and corners (2-2) were even.

The Bruins saw one of their best chances come in the 55^th minute on the counterattack with Aileen Perez carrying the ball into the box and unleashing a curling shot that missed wide right of goal.

Any momentum gained by BU early in the second half was erased when Natalie Maguire struck in the 57^th minute. Nova Eskelinen played a long ball to Lindenberg who sprung Maguire in free with a header on the counter for GGC. Maguire won the race with Cura, who came out of her area, to the long ball, carried the ball in and slipped home her sixth goal of the season.

Lorenz found her second goal of the game just 1:20 later off a feed from Perrin following a BU turnover. Perrin carried the ball into the box before a centering cross to Lorenz at the spot for a one-timer that she slid home.

Bellevue pulled a goal back in the 75^th minute when Katrina Avila sent a cross to the back post for Adi Kasel who ran onto the cross and slammed home a goal to make it a 4-1 game with her 11^th goal of the season.

The Bruins took advantage of a GGC miscue in the 83^rd minute on another Avila cross. This one was redirected into the back of the net by a defender as Bellevue pulled to within two, 4-2, with 7:20 remaining.

Maju Serrano tried to turn up the furious comeback bud with a dangerous 85^th minute free kick at the back post that carried just long. The Bruins tacked on one final shot in the 87^th minute but were unable to pull closer before falling.

Bellevue and GGC finished even with 11 shots apiece with the Grizzlies out-shooting the Bruins 7-6 on goal.

Rirei Sasaki finished with three saves for Georgia Gwinnett as did Cura for BU.

For Bellevue Morgan Miller and Maju Serrano were each earned All-CAC Tournament honors.