Aris Briggs
TODD DREXLER/SESPORTSMEDIA.COM

Men's Soccer

Men's Soccer Hosts Coastal For Sun Belt Championship Game Sunday

ATLANTA – Looking for a second Sun Belt Conference men's soccer title in the last three years, No. 2-seed Georgia State will host No. 1-seed Coastal Carolina on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m., at Center Parc Stadium.

Georgia State (9-2-1, 4-2 Sun Belt) advanced to Sunday's final by outscoring Central Arkansas 4-2 in PKs on Friday night after both teams tied 1-1 following double overtime. The Chanticleers advanced by routing Georgia Southern 6-0 setting up the same championship game for the fourth time in the last five years.

Friday night's heroics came from freshman Alex Henderson who scored his first career goal in the 87th minute before Gunther Rankenburg's save in the fourth round of penalty kicks sent the Panthers to the championship game.

Senior George Proctor, the Sun Belt Player of the Year and Sun Belt Defender of the Year, provided the assist on the Panthers' goal following a remarkable season. He was one of six Panthers honored as nearly half of the All-Sun Belt Team was made up of him and his teammates.

Senior Aris Briggs, the Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Year, and junior Matthew Fearnley are tied for second in the NCAA in goals (5), while Briggs leads in points (13) with Fearnley is third with 11. The Panthers are outscoring their opponents 24-7 and lead the NCAA in goals and points (66). On defense, senior goalkeeper Paul Tyson leads the nation with a .864 save percentage and four shutouts.

Tickets for the championship are $10 per day or $15 for the tournament. They can be purchased at the Center Parc Stadium Ticket Office on the day of the match. Please note that all sales are credit card only - cash will not be accepted.

MATCH NOTES
  • Georgia State plays in its sixth-straight Sun Belt Conference Championship Game hosting top-seed Coastal Carolina for the second time this month.
  • The two teams split the regular season series each winning on its own home field. The Panthers earned a 2-0 win over the Chanticleers on Nov. 1, on goals by Matthew Fearnley and George Proctor. Coastal scored a 1-0 win over the Panthers on Oct. 10, handing GSU its first loss of the season.
  • Coastal Carolina leads the all-time series with Georgia State 11-6-1, including a 5-3 mark in Atlanta.
  • GSU and Coastal will meet for the Sun Belt Tournament title for the fourth of the last five seasons.
CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP PLAY
  • The Panthers advanced to Sunday afternoon after advancing on PKs against Central Arkansas on Friday night. Freshman Alex Henderson scored his first career goal in the 87th minute to send the match to overtime, before GSU outscored the Bears 4-2 in penalty kicks.
  • GSU has now reached the Championship Game in six-straight Sun Belt Conference Championships.
  • Since joining the Sun Belt, GSU has combined for a 7-4-2 record in conference tournament play.
  • The Panthers last won the championship and advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2018. GSU also failed to advance twice to the NCAA Tournament after falling in PK's (2015-Hartwick, 2019, Coastal).
  • Georgia State last hosted the championship in 2016 earning a pair of wins over Howard and Georgia Southern before falling to Coastal Carolina 1-0 in the championship.
TOP HONORS
  • Georgia State cleaned house in the annual voting of the Sun Belt Conference postseason awards.
  • George Proctor earned Sun Belt Player of the Year as well as Defensive Player of the Year honors.
  • Aris Briggs earned Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year honors for a second-straight season.
  • Proctor, Briggs, along with Matthew Fearnley, Ross Finnie, Ramon Munoz, and Paul Tyson were named to the All-Sun Belt First Team. The Panthers took six of the 13 spots on the team.
  • Briggs garnered first team honors for a third-straight season, while Finnie accomplished it for a second year in a row. Tyson picked up his second honor (2018), while Proctor earned All-Sun Belt Second Team honors in 2018.
THE LATEST
  • Georgia State enters the championship undefeated in the last three matches following a 1-1 tie (advancing 4-2 on PKs) on Friday night against No. 3-seed Central Arkansas.
  • The Panthers finished the regular season undefeated at home while also not allowing a goal, outscoring the opposition 11-0.
  • Before Friday night, Georgia State had not allowed a goal at home since Nov. 2, 2019, when Central Arkansas topped the Panthers at the GSU Soccer Complex 2-0.
  • Senior George Proctor earned Sun Belt Conference weekly honors on Wednesday for a second-straight week. It marked the third time he has taken defensive honors this year.
  • Of a possible 16 Sun Belt weekly awards, GSU has won 10 after Proctor took honors this week.
  • GSU's nine wins in the first 12 matches are tied for the most in the first 12 matches in program history.
  • In GSU's first 12 matches, 11 different players have scored. Aris Briggs and Matthew Fearnley have five goals each. Andrew Bennett, Jeryn Hodge, Justin Guest, and Logan Luque have each scored twice, while Simon Carlson, Alex Henderson, Ross Finnie, George Proctor, and Max Wilkins have each scored once.
  • Georgia State was named the TopDrawerSoccer.com National Team of the Week on Sept. 21, following the Panthers 2-1 season opening win over Mercer.
  • GSU has gotten off to great starts in back-to-back seasons. Last season the Panthers started 6-0-3 before sustaining their first loss.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
  • Entering the championship, GSU leads the nation with 23 goals and 66 total points. Defensively the Panthers lead the nation with a .864 save percentage and .545 team goals against average.
  • Aris Briggs leads the NCAA with 13 points and is tied for second nationally with Matthew Fearnley with five goals a piece. Fearnley also leads the NCAA with three game-winning goals, standing third with 11 points.
  • In goal, Paul Tyson leads the NCAA with 31 total saves, four shutouts, 720 minutes played, and an .861 save percentage.
PANTHERS RANK HIGH ON TOP 50 LIST PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE ACCOLADES
  • Georgia State had four players named to the 2020 All-Sun Belt Preseason recognition, including Aris Briggs, Matthew Fernley, Ross Finnie, and Paul Tyson. Briggs was named the league's Preseason Offensive Player of the Year. He and Tyson have earned preseason recognition in each of the last two seasons.
TYSON NAMED TOP 10 GOALKEEPER BY TOPDRAWERSOCCER.COM
  • Georgia State senior goalkeeper Paul Tyson was named one of the top 10 goalkeepers in the country entering the 2020 season by TopDrawerSoccer.com.
  • Tyson, a native of Liverpool, England, earned 2019 Sun Belt All-Tournament Team honors last year after guiding the Panthers to a fifth-straight Sun Belt Conference Championship Game appearance.
REACHING TRIPLE DIGITS
  • GSU head coach Brett Surrency reached the 100-win plateau in the regular season finale last year. He has led GSU to 11 or more wins in three consecutive seasons and is the only coach in GSU history to take the Panthers to the NCAA Tournament.
  • Surrency is currently the second-winningest head coach in GSU history (110), behind only Scottie O'Neill (143), who coached the team from 1976-86.
With a win on Sunday, Georgia State would win a second Sun Belt Conference title in the last three years and advance to the NCAA Tournament scheduled for the spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Paul Tyson

#1 Paul Tyson

GK
6' 7"
Senior
Matthew Rios

#3 Matthew Rios

D
5' 11"
Sophomore
Matthew Fearnley

#10 Matthew Fearnley

M
5' 10"
Junior
Ross Finnie

#4 Ross Finnie

M
5' 7"
Sophomore
Justin Guest

#15 Justin Guest

M
5' 8"
Sophomore
George Proctor

#16 George Proctor

D
6' 1"
Senior
Max Wilkins

#19 Max Wilkins

F
6' 2"
Sophomore
Ramon Munoz

#21 Ramon Munoz

D
6' 2"
Sophomore
Logan Luque

#23 Logan Luque

M
5' 11"
Junior
Aris Briggs

#31 Aris Briggs

F
6' 4"
Senior
Gunther Rankenburg

#33 Gunther Rankenburg

GK
6' 2"
Sophomore
Simon Carlson

#12 Simon Carlson

MF
5' 6"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Paul Tyson

#1 Paul Tyson

6' 7"
Senior
GK
Matthew Rios

#3 Matthew Rios

5' 11"
Sophomore
D
Matthew Fearnley

#10 Matthew Fearnley

5' 10"
Junior
M
Ross Finnie

#4 Ross Finnie

5' 7"
Sophomore
M
Justin Guest

#15 Justin Guest

5' 8"
Sophomore
M
George Proctor

#16 George Proctor

6' 1"
Senior
D
Max Wilkins

#19 Max Wilkins

6' 2"
Sophomore
F
Ramon Munoz

#21 Ramon Munoz

6' 2"
Sophomore
D
Logan Luque

#23 Logan Luque

5' 11"
Junior
M
Aris Briggs

#31 Aris Briggs

6' 4"
Senior
F
Gunther Rankenburg

#33 Gunther Rankenburg

6' 2"
Sophomore
GK
Simon Carlson

#12 Simon Carlson

5' 6"
Freshman
MF