COLUMBIA, S.C. --- The Georgia soccer team scored just 15 seconds before halftime and used a gutsy second-half effort to hold on to beat 14^th-ranked South Carolina 1-0 Sunday afternoon at Stone Stadium in Columbia. The Bulldogs (7-2-1, 2-1-1 SEC) earned the victory despite playing the final 24 minutes down a player following a red card on Marion Crowder.

Georgia returns home with the weekend split, snagging the win today after a 2-1 heartbreaker at No. 7 Florida on Friday night.

Freshman Kelsey Killean provided the game-winner for Georgia on her third goal of the season, with classmate Delaney Fechalos earning the assist in her first career appearance. Sophomore Gabby Seiler saw her school-record nine-game point streak come to an end Sunday, with the midfielder needing just three assists to tie the Georgia single-season record of 11. It was Georgia’s first shutout of the 2014 SEC slate and fifth overall.

“Without question, today was a day of survival,” said head coach Steve Holeman. “On the road against a top-20 team, we had so many things we had to fight. We played well for the first 20-25 minutes, and after that the edge was to them, no question. Our game came against the run of play. In the second half, our goal was to not get stuck in our half, and before the red card, we actually were already getting peppered by South Carolina. They took it to us. Once the red card came, it was a matter of sitting in and weather the storm, and we did that.”

After a back-and-forth first half that saw good chances on both sides, Killean put Georgia on top in the 45^th minute, using her speed to beat the South Carolina defenders to it following a long ball up from Fechalos on the back line, and Killean one-timed it on the bounce past the keeper and into the back of the net for the 1-0 lead.

The Gamecocks had two good chances to tie early in the second frame, including one that went wide right from close range, and other that Georgia keeper Louise Hogrell bobbled before it hit the post.

South Carolina continued to bring the pressure to Georgia searching for the equalizer, using numbers forward after Crowder’s red card with just over 24 to play. Despite 15 Gamecock shots on the day, Georgia was able to weather the storm and hang on for the 1-0 road victory to bring the three points back to Athens.

Hogrell finished with three saves for Georgia, while Killean and Rachel Garcia led the Bulldogs with two shots apiece. With the loss, South Carolina falls to 8-3 on the season and 1-2 in league action, while Georgia moves to 15-6-3 all-time in the series following the teams’ split last year.

Georgia is next in action Friday night at home, hosting Tennessee for a 7 p.m. match-up at the UGA Soccer Stadium. The Bulldogs then travel to Mississippi State for a 3 p.m. Sunday game.

---

RECOMMENDED FOR YOU

ECNL Girls N. Atlantic Players to Watch

Women's NCAA Tournament Round Two Preview

Best of Men's College Soccer Week 13