DAHLONEGA, Ga.- Palm Beach Atlantic lost to North Georgia 2-0 on Friday at UNG Soccer Complex. The Sailfish generated 13 shots and put seven on goal, but were unable to find the back of the net. The teams were scoreless through the first half before North Georgia scored twice in the second.
The Sailfish created the first half's clearest attacking stretch from the seventh through 19th minutes, getting shots from
Kobi Thomas,
Luis Edmondson and
Veit Klement while forcing Miguel Pineda into saves on Edmondson and Klement and earning two corners.Â
The half also tightened physically during that span, with
Titus Beuckman shown a yellow card in the 13th minute as the 'Fish played through several fouls on both sides. North Georgia answered with a run of pressure later in the half, but the Sailfish got through three corners and multiple shots without conceding, while also producing a corner and an
Ole Lichter shot during the same stretch.
Michael Florian put another attempt on frame in the 44th minute, but Pineda saved it, and the 'Fish went into halftime tied 0-0.
North Georgia broke through after halftime with goals by Rhys Shirley at 55:45 and Maxwell Mitchell at 64:07, leaving the Sailfish facing a 2-0 deficit despite
Flavio Giannini's save on Shirley between the two scores. The 'Fish responded with pressure, as Thomas had a shot saved in the 67th minute before
Clement Scaccia and
Fabio Reck followed with shots in the 73rd.Â
Thomas later had a penalty kick saved at 75:54, and the Sailfish continued to push with corners at 76:41 and 81:39, saved shots from Florian and Thomas, a blocked attempt by Florian and a late shot from
Niklas Mahler. Giannini added another save in the 84th minute, but the 'Fish could not convert their second-half chances as North Georgia closed out the 2-0 final.
The Sailfish have some time off before returning to the pitch next Saturday when they head to Virginia to take on Emory & Henry.Â
