Clayton State University Athletics

Freshman defender Manoly Baquerizo (Guayaquil, Ecudaor) was outstanding offensively and defensively in leading the Lakers to a win and a tie in a pair of games this past week. In addition to playing all 200 minutes she also recorded two goals and two assists.

Facing Montevallo (9/28) to start the week, Baquerizo was instrumental in preserving a tie as she anchored the defense and added some pop on the offensive side of the field. In that game she played all 110 minutes and scored the first goal of the game at 8:48 before assisting on the second less than 13 minutes later. After a pair of scores in the second half (the tying goal on a penalty kick at 81:12), she would help lock down UM's offense by allowing just two shots in the final 20 minutes, including none in the first overtime.

Baquerizo would be just as impressive in the final game of the week as Clayton State hosted Francis Marion (10/1). In that game she would play all 90 minutes in helping to secure a 4-0 victory for the team's first shutout of the season but would prove the old adage that the best defense is a good offense. She assisted on the first goal of the game at 7:17 before following with one of her own less than three minutes later while limiting the Patriots to just two shots in what would be an incredible 33-2 margin.

On the year her 12 points are tied for fourth in the Peach Belt Conference while her four assists and four goals rank in ties for the third and sixth most. For goals, she is just two off the pace for the league leaders while issuing outstanding defense for a team that has a 1.16 goals against average and is 6-2-1 on the year overall and 3-1-1 in PBC play.