Sophomore Lindsay Mortellaro's goal proved to be the game-winner as junior Heidi Blankenship shut out the opposition, lifting Georgia State over in-state rival Georgia Southern Sunday to improve to 5-1-0 on the year.
"It's always nice to score early. I thought we had another couple of chances that would have made the game feel a little easier," said Georgia State head coach Domenic Martelli. "We were able to do some things offensively that we hadn't be able to do in previous games, getting into scoring position, but we have to do better on converting those chances."
Blankenship's shutout is her third of the year, coming on two saves and moving her into a tie for fourth all-time with Jennie Hinson for career shutouts at Georgia State. The Georgia State back line managed to neutralize Georgia Southern for much of the game, keeping the Panthers on the offensive.
The Panthers found the only goal of the game in the 15th minute as Lindsay Mortellaro was able to win a rebound off of a Lani Huntley shot to put Georgia State on top 1-0.
Georgia State held on for the remainder of the game, dodging a number of bullets launched by the Georgia Southern offensive attack.
In the closing minutes of the first half, Georgia State's back line answered the call of duty by denying several crosses as the Eagles tried to mount a comeback. Senior Virginia Wood headed one ball out of the goal box, averting a one-on-one opportunity for Georgia Southern.
The biggest charge mounted by Georgia Southern came in the final ten minutes of the game. The Eagles managed to get a ball to midfielder Kyrstin Smith who had a one-on-one opportunity denied by Heidi Blankenship. Blankenship smothered the ball and Georgia Southern's chances of a comeback.
The Eagles had their hands full with the Georgia State offense for most of the afternoon. The Panthers had 18 shots, forcing nine saves from Georgia Southern's Missy Meyer. Georgia State also set up 11 corner kicks on the day.
Georgia State found a good opportunity to gain some experience for a variety of players during the game. Head coach Domenic Martelli gave minutes to 22 different players.
"It was nice to get good numbers into the game," said Martelli. "We didn't have nearly as many mental breakdowns in the second half as the first. We're going to continue to work hard and get through these last two non-conference games to get ready for the CAA."
The Panthers play host to South Alabama on Friday September 18 at 7 p.m., the first women's soccer game to be played under the lights in school history. Georgia State will follow that with a matchup with a trip to play in-state rival Mercer on Sunday September 20 at 1 p.m., the final game before conference play.
"As much as we prepared for Georgia and Georgia Southern, we'll probably be preparing even more for South Alabama and Mercer," said Martelli. "We're going to get better, and we hope the results show that. Those two games will be a pair of big challenges."
