LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. - On the same day that the University of Mobile Men's Soccer team was ranked as the No. 1 team in the NAIA, the top-ranked Rams managed a 5-4 victory over No. 10 Georgia Gwinnett on the road in Lawrenceville, Ga. on Wednesday, Sept. 21. Mobile's non-conference win over the 10th-ranked Grizzlies advances the Rams' overall record to 5-0-1, while handing Georgia Gwinnett their first loss of the season. Wednesday's win for the Rams is arguably the best on the season thus far.
Recap: No. 1 Mobile 5, No. 10 Georgia Gwinnett 4
After reading the official announcement from the NAIA that the UM Men's Soccer team was ranked as the No. 1 team in the country just hours before a major non-conference match on Wednesday, the Rams of Mobile were riding a high and scored two quick goals over the Grizzlies in the first half. Mobile's first goal came in just the third minute of the match when Jose Sanabria notched his second goal of the year. Lucas Ros followed Sanabria's early goal with his team-leading fifth goal of the season in the 10th minute to put the Rams up, 2-0.
In the 28th minute, Georgia Gwinnett cut the deficit in half with their first goal of the game. However, Kevin Fitzgerald scored his first goal as a Ram right before halftime following a free kick from 20 yards out to give the Rams the edge at the break, 3-1. Immediately after halftime, Mobile added an insurance goal just 29 seconds into the second half when Chiedu Ikeme recorded his third goal of the season. Sebastian Jorgge was credited with the assist after a pass from midfield.
Down 4-1 to the top-ranked team in the country, Georgia Gwinnett managed an impressive offensive run in the time span of 11 minutes and scored three unanswered goals to tie the match at four goals a piece. With momentum on the Grizzlies' side on their home turf, Mobile showed urgency late in the match and continued to pressure the Georgia Gwinnett back line.
While driving near the Georgia Gwinnett box, the Grizzlies were called for a foul, which set up a penalty kick for Mobile. Sebastian Jorgge took the penalty kick with 11 minutes left in the match and scored the decisive goal which allowed the Rams to claim victory, 5-4.
Inside the Box Score
Overall, it was Georgia Gwinnett who managed more shots in the match, out-shooting Mobile, 13-9. For Mobile, eight of nine shots were on goal, while the Grizzlies took eight shots-on-goal. Jose Sanabria led Mobile with four total shots, with all four being on goal.
Ty Turner, starting goalkeeper for the Rams, converted five huge saves in the victory, all coming in the second half of the match, including the potential tying goal with two minutes remaining. In five matches played during the 2022 season, Turner has notched 12 saves, while tallying a save percentage of .632. He claimed his biggest victory of the year on Wednesday against No. 10 Georgia Gwinnett.
Four yellow cards were distributed throughout the full 90 minutes, two for each team. The Rams were called for a total of 13 fouls compared to the Grizzlies' 12. A total of four corner kicks were taken between both teams on Wednesday, with Mobile only tallying one.
Conference Play Upcoming
With a huge win over No. 10 Georgia Gwinnett in the books for Mobile, the Rams are set to return home for their first SSAC match of the season on Saturday, Sept. 24. Mobile will host Talladega College on Saturday at the Jungle for a 4:00 p.m. CT match.
About the University of Mobile
The University of Mobile is a Christ-centered liberal arts and sciences institution with a vision of higher education for a higher purpose, founded to honor God by equipping students for their future professions through rigorous academic preparation and spiritual transformation. Core values are: Christ-Centered, Academically-Focused, Student-Devoted and Distinctively-Driven. The university offers on-campus and online bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in over 75 academic programs. Founded in 1961, the University of Mobile is affiliated with the Alabama Baptist State Convention and is located 10 miles north of Mobile, Alabama on a campus of over 880 acres.
For information about the University of Mobile, areas of study, admissions and more, visit umobile.edu, connect with UM on social media @univofmobile, or call Enrollment Services at 1.800.WIN.RAMS or 251.442.2222.
