SAVANNAH, Ga. – After 87 minutes of scoreless play, it would be a matter of three goals in a span of 10 minutes that would decide the fate of Clayton State (9-8-1, 5-5-1 PBC) as they dropped a heartbreaking 2-1 overtime decision at No. 3 seed Armstrong State (12-3-3, 7-1-3 PBC) in an NCAA Division II women's soccer game and Peach Belt Conference Tournament Quarterfinal on Tuesday, November 3.
 
Neither team would be able to capitalize over the first 86-plus minutes, despite a combined 23 shots, leaving the game deadlocked at 0-0. That would change quickly in the span of less than a minute. ASU's Sarah Olin took advantage of a corner kick, placing the ball into the box where McKenzie Anderson headed it in for a 1-0 lead 86:44.
 
On most days, at that point in the game, that would ordinarily be a death blow, but not today. One of the best players in the country, senior midfielder Maria Marti Bartis (Girona, Spain), would take a pass from senior defender Saidhbh Collins (Dublin, Ireland) just 34 seconds later and bury it into the back of the net to make it a short-lived lead and tie the game at 1-1.
 
Following that unexpected burst of offense, both teams returned to their defensive ways and headed to overtime just minutes later. Armstrong's Jenny Allen would open up with a shot that went wide just 1:10 in before Clayton State would find themselves down a player following a second yellow card.
 
Playing at a disadvantage, the Lakers would fend off another shot, this one on goal by Asa Thorsen, at the 95:18 mark, before surrendering another corner kick to Sarah Olin. On that kick, senior goalkeeper Charlotte McCormack (Wexford, Ireland) slapped the ball away from the net but it ended going right back to the foot of Olin. She re-served it and Randi Schroedel was on the other end to deliver the game-winning goal at 96:58 for a 2-1 overtime victory.
 
Olin would lead Armstrong with a pair of assists while Schroedel and Anderson each delivered solo goals to round out the offense. In net, Morgan Luckie improved to 10-3-3 on the year as she allowed just the one goal while making four saves in 96:58 of action.
 
Marti Bartis delivered the lone goal for Clayton State and Collins posted an assist to lead their offensive effort. McCormack made eight saves and allowed a pair of goals in going the distance in goal. She finishes the season with an 8-8-1 overall record.
 
Having not been ranked in the latest NCAA Division II Southeast Region poll, the accepted litmus test for inclusion in the NCAA Division II Tournament, the Lakers likely close out the 2015 season with an overall record of 9-8-1.