Full Game Broadcast
MORROW, Ga. – A pair of goals from junior forward
Denisha Paskell (McDonough, Ga.) provided all the offense that Clayton State (2-1, 0-0 PBC) would need as they earned a hard-fought 2-1 victory over West Georgia (1-2, 0-0 GSC) in an NCAA Division II women's soccer game on Tuesday, September 8.
In a game marred by six yellow cards, Paskell would get the Lakers on the board relatively early. Just 9:22 in, she took a pass from senior forward
Brooke Bortles (Suwanee, Ga.) and buried it into the center of the goal for a 1-0 margin. That lead would hold up through halftime when Paskell struck again in the first nine minutes of a frame.
This time it would be a cross from senior midfielder
Rachael Schmidt (Snellville, Ga.) that Paskell would get a hold of. Planted in front of the net, she slipped one past the keeper as the ball trickled in and gave Clayton State a 2-0 advantage with 54:04 gone by.
The Wolves would respond just under 10 minutes later as Cari Powell found Ashlynn Deese for a score down the right hand side, making it 2-1 at the 63:44 mark. Less than six minutes later back-to-back yellow cards on the same player resulted in a UWG player being sent off at 70:15.
While the Lakers would not capitalize offensively, that did prevent West Georgia from mounting any serious offensive threat of their own. Over the final 20 minutes, they tallied just two shots before falling 2-1.
Deese and Powell accounted for the only points for the Wolves with their goal and assist, respectively. Haley Ryan started and went the distance, allowing both goals and making eight saves to fall to 0-1.
For the Lakers, Paskell erupted for a career-high tying two goals, marking the sixth time in her career she has accomplished that feat. Bortles and Schmidt would add solo assists to close out the offense. Defensively, senior goalkeeper
Charlotte McCormack (Wexford, Ireland) played all 90 minutes, made three saves and allowed just one score to improve to 2-1 on the year.
The Lakers continue their mini homestand as they host Queens (2-1) on Friday, September 11. Game time is slated for 7 p.m. at Laker Field.
NOTESPaskell last accomplished two goals in a game on October 23, 2013 when she drilled a pair against Georgia Southwestern.
