The Columbus State women’s soccer team defeated North Georgia 2-1 on Saturday to capture its fourth consecutive Peach Belt Conference championship, wtvm.com reported.
Entering the match as the top seed, the Cougars faced four starters sidelined by injuries. North Georgia stepped onto the pitch as the No. 2 seed in a tightly contested postseason battle.
“We weathered the storm a little bit. I thought North Georgia was really good in the beginning of the game. They left some doors open and we were able to capitalize,” head coach Jay Entlich said, as reported by wtvm.com.
Senior Kaylee Castano put the Cougars on the scoreboard first with an assist from senior Peyton Conti. A few minutes later, still in the first half, senior Shania Wegesend extended the lead.
North Georgia managed to find the back of the net during the second half, but the single goal proved insufficient to overcome the deficit. The final whistle confirmed the Cougars’ fourth consecutive Peach Belt Conference championship.
“It’s pretty special. You know, the simple fact I’ve been here for 23 plus years and this has never happened. So big tribute to the kids and it’s just so cool for the kids to experience this, especially through all the adversity we have been through this year with kids getting injured and losing players to ACL. So really, really proud of this group,” Entlich told wtvm.com.
Goalkeeper and tournament MVP Huda Sayedzada emphasized the collective effort required to secure the championship amid roster challenges.
“We had a lot of injuries, we had some people out sick. But we asked the players who came in to step up and give everything they have, and they did. And I am just super grateful and super proud of the girls that came out,” Sayedzada said, according to wtvm.com.
With the conference trophy secured, the squad immediately shifts its focus toward the postseason tournament.
“We are excited, we are very, very excited. We have so much potential on the team, so much growth that has been happening throughout the year. And so we are just excited to go after it. We are going to take this next week, train hard and get prepared for the next game,” Sayedzada told wtvm.com.
Columbus State will learn its official seeding for the NCAA Division II Women’s Soccer Tournament during the selection show scheduled for Monday.
