MORROW, Ga. – Taking on a team that has challenged some of the top teams in the country, Clayton State (6-3, 2-1 PBC) battled Georgia College (4-3-2, 2-2-0) in a back-and-forth affair before falling by a 3-2 score in an NCAA Division II women's soccer game on Saturday, October 3.
There was no lack of offense early on as senior defender
Saidhbh Collins (Dublin, Ireland) got the Lakers on the board as she touched the ball past the keeper on the right side. She would then run onto it and drive it into the back left corner of the goal for a 1-0 lead at 6:38.
It would be a short lived advantage as GC's Ragnheidur Bjarnadottir delivered her second goal of the season, heading home a cross from Maddie Stephen at the 8:47 mark, directly in front of the net.
The scoring barrage would continue as Stephen struck again, delivering a spot-on cross from the endline to the foot of Anya Mancinelli, who promptly buried it into the back center of the goal to make it 2-1 at 12:13. That margin would hold up well into the second half, as both team's offense went quiet until the 60
th minute.
With 59:46 gone by, Haley Tidwell broke free and chipped the ball past the keeper for the Bobcat's third goal. As was the case earlier, however, scoring would come in bunches. Junior defender Siobhan Wilson (Essex, England) crossed a ball from the far left side into the box, right to senior defender
Lucy Cunningham (Formby, Liverpool, England). She would then proceed to drill it into the back center of the goal to narrow the gap to 3-2 at 62:36.
Despite six shots down the stretch, including three in a span of less than three minutes, the Lakers would not be able to capitalize, falling by the one goal margin.
Mancinelli, Tidwell and Bjarnadottir each tallied solo goals to pace the Georgia College offense while Stephen posted two assists. In net, Ashlee Graham made 10 saves and allowed both scores to improve to 1-0 on the year.
Leading the way for Clayton State would be Collins and Cunningham with solo scores of their own while Wilson netted the lone assist. Senior goalkeeper
Charlotte McCormack (Wexford, Ireland) played all 90 minutes, gave up three goals and made nine saves to drop to 6-4.
The Lakers return to action on Wednesday, October 7 when they travel to Savannah, Ga. to take on Armstrong State. Game time is set for 3:30 p.m.
NOTESEntering the game, Georgia College had lost back-to-back one goal games against No. 3 North Georgia (1-0 on Sept. 26) and No. 19 Columbus State (2-1 in OT on Sept. 30).
