What you need to know:
* The Panthers earned a 4-1 victory over Memphis in their home opener on Sunday.
* Sophomore Hannes Burmeister scored a hat trick to secure the win.
* The team will be back on the field on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. as part of a doubleheader with the women's team.
ATLANTA- The Georgia State men's soccer team earned a 4-1 win over Memphis Sunday afternoon in its home opener. Sophomore Hannes Burmeister scored the game-winning goal as part of a hat trick.
The Panthers improved to 1-1 this season while the Tigers fell to 1-1.
GSU controlled the midfield early on, outshooting Memphis 15-0 in the first half. The Panthers had six shots on target in the first 45 minutes, but goalkeeper Jake Leeker kept the team out of the net.
Coming into the second half, Burmeister scored the first goal of the game in the 51st minute of play. Memphis' Chandler Klemm responded quickly, evening the score 1-1 in under a minute.
Following a penalty in the box, Burmeister took a penalty shot and scored what proved to be the game-winning goal in the 61st minute. Less than 10 minutes later he completed a hat trick, widening the score to 3-1.
Max Hemmings scored the final goal for the Panthers with an assist from Jad Elkhalil, making the final score to 4-1.
GSU had 22 total shots against Memphis, which scored a total of six shots. Of Georgia State's 22 shots, 12 were on target to give the team a .545 shot on goal percentage. Burmeister led the team with six shots and three on goal.
“We're really pleased with the outcome today, especially after not doing too well on Friday night,” head coach Brett Surrency said. “The guys came out and did good things on both sides of the ball and we are satisfied to start the home season with a win.”
The Panthers will be back on the field on Friday at 7:30 p.m. in Panthersville as part of a doubleheader with the women's team at 5 p.m. Admission to the GSU Soccer Complex is free.
