DAHLONEGA, Ga. – Playing without their starting goalkeeper, No. 17 Clayton State (12-2, 7-1 PBC) saw their program record 11-game win streak stopped by No. 10 North Georgia (12-1, 6-0 PBC) as they fell 5-0 in an NCAA Division II women's soccer game on Wednesday, October 15. The loss is the team's first since a narrow 3-2 defeat at the hands of Christian Brothers on September 7 in the second game of the season.
Faced with taking on a Top-10 program without starting junior goalkeeper Charlotte McCormack (Wexford, England), who was serving out a red card, the Lakers found themselves down 1-0 early as UNG's Jacy Ramey delivered a header off a pass from Jordan Draughon with just 5:32 gone by.
After recovering from the initial blow, Clayton State settled in defensively and did not allow a score for nearly the next 28 minutes. That would change, however, when Draughon facilitated once again, this time finding Brynn Finneran on the left side of the goal mouth. She would quickly find the back right corner at the 33:29 mark to make it a 2-0 margin, which the teams would take to the half.
The tenor of the contest would change dramatically in a less than five minute span early in the second half. After 10 minutes of scoreless play, the Nighthawks erupted for three goals between the 55:10 mark and 59:58 to push their lead to an insurmountable 5-0.
Sophia Matonak converted on a pass from Cicely Taliaferro for the first goal of that series while it would be Taliaferro that benefitted from a helper by Megan Morrow at 56:48. Ramey would take it herself with another header to cap the run.
Junior forward Jencilia Villaverde (Palm Bay, Fla.) notched a pair of shots, both on goal, to pace Clayton State's offense while sophomore forward Denisha Paskell (McDonough, Ga.) had the only other shot on goal. Freshman goalkeeper Tina Firing (Trondheim, Norway) played 65 minutes and allowed five goals against five saves while sophomore goalkeeper Jessica Charman (Harfield, England) saw her first action, logging 25 minutes with three saves.
Ramey led the way for UNG with her two scores and Taliaferro added a goal and an assist. Matonak and Finneran had the other goals and Draughon finished with a pair of assists. Morrow chipped in with an assist and Mallory Sayre picked up the win with three saves in 90 minutes of action.
The Lakers are back in action with their toughest test of the season on Saturday, October 18 when they travel to No. 2 Columbus State. Game time is set for 1 p.m. in Columbus, Ga.
NOTES
The loss snaps the Lakers program record 11-game winning streak, as well as a string of seven straight shutouts … the latter dated back to a 2-0 victory over Flagler on September 21.
