MORROW, Ga. – On August 18, 1997, Clayton State Athletics completed a significant transition from the NAIA to NCAA Division II. The 2017-18 season marked the 20^th anniversary of that accomplishment. Over a seven week span, the Sports Information Office is releasing the top 20 moments in the NCAA era, one on each Monday, Wednesday and Friday with select exceptions.
  The countdown continues with one of the most impressive performances in Laker history - No. 3 Men's Soccer Makes Run to Elite Eight; Finishes No. 5 in Nation.
 
In 2010, Clayton State men's soccer made history as they went 19-4 overall, won the Peach Belt Conference Regular Season Championship and the NCAA Division II Southeast Region Title. The latter earned the Lakers the first trip to the Elite Eight in team history.
 
Below are the original releases from that incredible run, beginning with the 2010 PBC Championship (October 30, 2010) and the NCAA selection release (November 8, 2010). The series then moves onto the Lakers postseason run with victories over Lees-McRae (November 10, 2010), Flagler (November 12, 2010) and Anderson (November 14, 2010). It then concludes with the narrow loss to Rollins (November 20, 2010) and the final national ranking release that put Clayton State at No. 5 (December 8, 2010).
  MORROW, Ga. – In another chapter of the thrilling Clayton State/Lander men's soccer rivalry on Saturday, one shot was all it took.
 
Ryan Pugh's goal two minutes into the second overtime period was all it took as Clayton State pulled off a thrilling 1-0 victory over Lander in front of a raucous crowd at Laker Field. Sixth-ranked Clayton State improves to 15-2 overall and 7-1 in the Peach Belt Conference. The Lakers share the PBC regular season title with Lander (11-6, 7-1 PBC), but they will be the No. 1 seed in next week's Peach Belt Conference Tournament.
 
Clayton State, which will play host to USC Aiken on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m., has now won five PBC regular season titles in its history.
 
"Are you kidding me?," said Clayton State head coach Pete Petersen. "Every time we play Lander, you can throw everything out the window and it's a battle to the very end. (Lander head coach) Van (Taylor) was very gracious and his players were very classy, but I am so very proud of our guys. We tried different combinations, and we finally had one that worked in the end."
 
"The officiating was outstanding and they let both teams play and determine the outcome."
 
It was vintage Clayton State-Lander during regulation as neither team gave an inch defensively and laid it on the line for the full 90 minutes. Lander had a key opportunity late in regulation as a shot by Fred Parker hit the post, and bounced back to Craig Hughes, who hammered home a shot at the open net.
 
But an alert Deni Lulic was there to clear it for the Lakers with two minutes remaining.
 
Neither team mounted much offense in the first overtime before Clayton State capitalized. Brett Neilson sent the ball into the penalty box, and Clayton State's Leighton Fredericks and Lander goalkeeper Scott Playle both went for the ball in the air. When it was loose on the ground, Pugh was there to hammer it home for his 12th goal of the season and a glorious celebration on the field for the Laker players and fans.
 
Clayton State goalkeeper Brian Garcia recorded five saves for his eighth shutout of the season, while Playle recorded six saves for the Bearcats. Clayton State out-shot Lander 24-11.
  MORROW, Ga. – It's official! The Clayton State Laker men's soccer team is heading to the 2010 NCAA Division II National Tournament.
 
The Lakers officially received their bid on Monday night, and the Lakers are set for the opening round on Wednesday as a part of the NCAA Division National Tournament Super Region 3. Fourth-ranked Clayton State (16-3), the Peach Belt Conference regular season co-champions, will play host to Conference Carolinas regular season and tournament champion Lees-McRae (13-4-1) on Wednesday at 2 p.m. at Laker Field.
 
Should Clayton State win, the Lakers will play Peach Belt Conference rival Flagler in the first round on Friday at 4 p.m. at Montevallo. The other opening round contest pits SAC Tournament champion Anderson at SAC regular season champion Wingate on Wednesday, with the winner of the game advancing to play at Montevallo on Friday at 7 p.m.
 
The second round, also at Montevallo, will be on Sunday, time to be determined.
 
This is the sixth NCAA Division II National Tournament berth for Clayton State in program history, and the fourth under current head coach Pete Petersen. The Lakers previously advanced to the NCAA Division II National Tournament in 2000, 2001, 2004, 2005 and 2007.
  MORROW, Ga. – This time of the year in men's soccer, it's all about surviving and advancing. The Clayton State Lakers did just that on Wednesday.
 
Playing host to Lees-McRae in the preliminary game of the 2010 NCAA Division II National Tournament, the Lakers held on nearly for dear life against the determined Bobcats and pulled off a thrilling 2-1 victory over Lees-McRae at Laker Field. 19^th-ranked Clayton State, the Peach Belt Conference regular season co-champions, improves to 17-3 overall.
 
The Lakers will now play Peach Belt rival Flagler on Friday at 4 p.m. in the first round, being hosted at Montevallo. Lees-McRae, champions of Conference Carolinas and last season's NCAA Division II national runner-up, finishes its season 13-5-3.
 
Clayton State took control early behind the play of junior forward Ryan Pugh. The Peach Belt Conference Player of the Year gave the Lakers a 1-0 lead in the seventh minute on a breakaway goal off an assist by Kevin Rodriguez.
 
The score stayed 1-0 until the 42^nd minute when Pugh struck again. He scored in front of the goal off a cross from Leighton Fredericks. That gave Clayton State a 2-0 lead at halftime.
 
Lees-McRae came out more intense in the second half. In fact, the Bobcats cut the Clayton State lead in half as James Galvani scored on a shot from the top of the penalty box to the left corner of the net. Lees-McRae had numerous opportunities to tie the game, but could not convert down the stretch as the Lakers played containment defense.
 
Clayton State goalkeeper Brian Garcia recorded two saves in the victory, while Bobcat goalkeeper Thomas Rusling recorded three saves. The shots were even 12-12 for both teams.
  MONTEVALLO, Ala. – Talk about redemption for David Duot.
 
Last Friday, he was ejected with a red card in Clayton State's Peach Belt Conference Men's Soccer Tournament semifinal defeat against Montevallo. However, on Friday night in the first round of the NCAA Division II National Tournament, Duot scored the Lakers' lone goal as Clayton State won a 1-0 thriller over Peach Belt rival Flagler at Montevallo's Varsity Field.
 
The victory improves 19^th-ranked Clayton State to 18-3 overall, tying the single-season school record for victories. Clayton State, winners of eight of its last nine games, advances to the NCAA Division II "Sweet 16" for the fifth time in program history.
 
The Lakers will battle Anderson at 1 p.m. CST on Sunday at Montevallo. Anderson tied Montevallo 1-1 on Friday night, and then advanced on penalty kicks. Flagler concludes its season at 14-5-1.
 
"Flagler is a quality program and we beat them finally when it counted the most," said Clayton State head coach Pete Petersen. "That was great for David after having to sit out last game. That goal he scored was beautiful."
 
After a scoreless first half, Clayton State got the break it needed early in the second half. In the 47^th minute, defender Roger Boniface sent a cross into the penalty box, and Duot scored on a side-volley past Flagler goalkeeper Matt Gilman.
 
From there, the Lakers relied on their stout defense. Clayton State withstood a Flagler offensive bombardment in the final 20 minutes of the contest as Laker goalkeeper Brian Garcia recorded his 10^th shutout of the season with four saves. Gilman had three saves for Flagler.
 
The shots were an even 12-12 on both sides.
  MONTEVALLO, Ala. - The Clayton State Laker men's soccer team is literally "going where no Laker team has gone before."
 
Playing Anderson in the 2010 NCAA Division II "Sweet 16" on Sunday, Clayton State scratched and clawed its way to a thriller 1-0 victory at Montevallo's Varsity Field. The victory sends 19^th-ranked Clayton State to the NCAA Division II "Elite Eight" for the first time in program history. In addition, the Lakers improve to 19-3 overall, setting the single-season school record for victories in season.
 
Clayton State will now play Rollins next weekend in the NCAA Division II Quarterfinals, or "Elite Eight", date, site and time to be determined. Anderson finishes its season 15-6-2.
 
"This is truly unbelievable," said Clayton State head coach Pete Petersen. "I salute Anderson. They have a great team and kept coming after us with everything they had. But our guys bunkered down and made the plays they had to make to win."
 
One player in particular making the key plays was junior goalkeeper Brian Garcia. He recorded his 11^th shutout of the season with seven crucial saves. None of those saves were more evident than in the last couple of minutes when Anderson was on the attack.
 
The Trojans' Lasse Sohrweide took a cross in the penalty box and headed what looked to be the game-tying goal in the right corner of the net in the 88^th minute. However, Garcia extended his body fully and tapped the ball away at the last second. Then with 28 second remaining, Garcia made the final save on a long shot attempt by Anderson's Aldo Lopez-Gill.
 
"That save on the header was perhaps THE save in the history of men's soccer at Clayton State," Petersen said.
 
The lone goal of the game was in the 39^th minute for Clayton State as Leigthon Fredericks broke free down the middle with a long pass from Sam Bevan and hammered it past Anderson goalkeeper Benjamin Pepion for his eighth goal of the season.
 
Pepion recorded four saves in the defeat for Anderson. The Trojans out-shot Clayton State 17-6.
  MORROW, Ga. – For the Clayton State Lakers and the Rollins Tars, advancing to the NCAA Division II Men's Soccer "Elite Eight" is un-chartered territory for both programs.
 
It's only fitting that they square off against each other in both teams' first ever Division II "Elite Eight" appearance.
 
No. 19 Clayton State and No. 5 Rollins will do battle on Saturday night at 7 p.m. at Rollins' Cahall-Sandspur Field and Barker Family Stadium in the NCAA Division II Quarterfinals or "Elite Eight". The winner will advance to the NCAA Division II semifinals or Final Four on Dec. 2 in Louisville, Ky.
 
This is the fifth meeting in the series between Clayton State and Rollins and the series is tied 2-2. Clayton State won the last encounter 2-1 in overtime in the 2008 season. This marks the first time ever that Clayton State and Rollins have met in postseason play.
 
The two teams are similar in that Clayton State and Rollins both rely on stellar defenses with two of the premier goalkeepers in the nation.
 
Clayton State boasts junior All-Peach Belt Conference and Division II All-Southeast region selection Brian Garcia, who is ranked seventh in the nation in goals-against average at 0.64 and has posted 11 shutouts. Rollins counters with freshman All-Sunshine State Conference and Division II All-South Region selection Keneil Baker, who leads the nation in goals-against average (0.40) with seven shutouts.
 
Both teams have allowed 16 goals on the season.
 
What contrasts the two teams is the offensive output.
 
Clayton State has set a single-season team record for goals so far with 56. The Lakers are led by Peach Belt Conference Player of the Year Ryan Pugh, who is ranked second in the Peach Belt with 15 goals scored and 34 points. In addition, junior forward Leighton Fredericks has scored eight goals with five assists, while All-Peach Belt Conference junior midfielder Matty Phillips has four goals and eight assists for 16 points and Peach Belt Freshman of the Year Arturo Cruz has four goals with seven assists for 15 points.
 
Rollins is led by senior Chase Neiken with six goals and six assists with 18 points, and senior Bradley Welch with six goals and two assists for 14 points. In addition, junior Nick Sowers and senior Stephen Wright have each scored five goals.
 
This is the fourth NCAA Division II National Tournament appearance for Clayton State head coach Pete Petersen, who is now 88-34-15 in his seventh season at the Laker helm for a winning percentage of .786. Rollins head coach Keith Buckley is in his 20^th season at the helm of the Tars, and this is his fifth NCAA Division II National Tournament berth.
  WINTER PARK, Fla. – In a game that will go down as a "classic" in the 2010 NCAA Division II Men's Soccer National Tournament, the Clayton State Lakers dropped a tough 3-2 decision in double-overtime at Rollins in the NCAA Division II "Elite Eight."
 
The defeat ends the 19th-ranked Lakers' banner season at 19-4 – the best season the history of men's soccer at Clayton State. Rollins improves to 14-3-3 overall and the Tars advance to the NCAA Division II Final Four on Dec. 2 in Louisville.
 
"What a tremendous game," said Clayton State head coach Pete Petersen. "Rollins is a real good team, but we showed a lot of character and never quit. We wish Rollins a lot of luck. The four seniors (Brett Neilson, Jonathan McKeever, Igor Lukic and Deni Lulic), I am so proud of them. They did something very special.
 
"We had a great season and the support was tremendous."
 
Rollins got the game-winner in the 105^th minute of the second overtime period as Chase Neinken scored off a direct kick by Kevin Boone. That gave Neinken a hat-trick for the game Rollins. The game-winner spoiled a tremendous charge by Clayton State, which rallied twice to tie the game.
 
After Neinken gave the Tars a 1-0 lead in the 13^th minute, Clayton State answered in the 57^th minute on an unassisted goal by Lulic, his sixth goal of the season. However, Neinken answered five minutes later with his second goal, giving the Tars a 2-1 lead.
 
But there was no quit in the Lakers. Junior Ryan Pugh got Clayton State its second equalizer of the game in the 78th minute off an assist by junior midfielder Matty Phillips. It was the 16^th goal of the season for Pugh, the Peach Belt Conference Player of the Year.
 
Clayton State goalkeeper Brian Garcia recorded five saves in the defeat, while his Rollins counterpart Keneil Baker recorded three saves. Rollins out-shot the Lakers 18-9.
  MORROW, Ga. – The Clayton State Laker men's soccer team capped off a banner 2010 season on Wednesday by earning the highest national ranking to finish a season in program history.
 
The NSCAA (National Soccer Coaches Association of America) released its final 2010 Division II postseason poll on Wednesday, and Clayton State was ranked fifth in the nation in the Top 25. This marks the first time ever that a Clayton State men's soccer team has garnered a national Top 10 finish at the conclusion of season.
 
Overall, Clayton State has been ranked in six season-ending Top 25 polls in program history. Under current head coach Pete Petersen, the Lakers also finished ranked 15^th in 2004, 12^th in 2005 and 22^nd in 2007 in addition to this season. Former head coach John Rootes paced Clayton State to final rankings of 14^th in 2000 and 13^th in 2001.
 
Clayton State was one of three teams from the Peach Belt Conference ranked in the final poll. Montevallo was ranked 19^th, while Flagler was ranked 22^nd. NCAA Division II National Champion Northern Kentucky was the top-ranked team in the final Top 25 poll.
 
Clayton State is coming off the best season in men's soccer, finishing 19-4 overall while winning a share of the Peach Belt Conference regular season championship and advancing to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight for the first time ever.
 
Schedule of NCAA 20^th Anniversary Countdown Releases
No. 1 (July 11)
No. 2 (July 9)
No. 3 Men's Soccer Makes Run to Elite Eight; Finishes No. 5 in Nation (July 5)
No. 4 Women's Basketball Makes NCAA Tournament for a Decade (July 2)
No. 5 Jackeline Nieto Becomes Only Five Time All-American in Laker History (June 29)
No. 6 Kreutzer Delivers Freshman Cross Country Season For The Ages in 2004 (June 27)
No. 7 Men's Basketball Makes Improbable Run to 2008 NCAA Region Final (June 25)
No. 8 Men's Golf's Wilcox Produces 2008 PBC Championship and NCAA Appearance (June 22)
No. 9 Marti Bartis' Two First-Team Selections Anchor Academic All-America Selections (June 20)
No. 10 Men's Golf Becomes First Clayton State Program to Reach NCAA Championships in 1999 (June 18)
No. 11 Eight Individual PBC Championships in Calendar Year by Cross Country and Track (June 15)
No. 12 Men's Soccer Wins Five PBC Championships in Three Seasons From 2005-07 (June 13)
No. 13 Women's Tennis Claims Rare PBC Championship in 2001 (June 11)
No. 14 Women's Soccer Sweeps PBC Titles and Heads to NCAA's in 2005 (June 8)
No. 15 Women's Basketball Makes First Elite Eight in 2006-07 (June 6)
No. 16 Men's Cross Country Delivers Record Setting 2005 Season (June 4)
No. 17 Women's Basketball Wins No. 1 vs. No. 2 Game vs. Lander on February 10, 2011 (June 1)
No. 18 Men's Basketball Wins First Ever PBC Championship in 2001-02 Regular Season Finale (May 30)
No. 19 Women's Cross Country Wins PBC, Heads to 2012 NCAA National Championships (May 28)
No. 20 Women's Tennis Makes NCAA Tournament in 1999 (May 25)