CARROLLTON, Ga. – Solid defense and a goal in the 108^th minute would help lead Clayton State (1-0, 0-0 PBC) to a 2-1 overtime victory at West Georgia (0-1, 0-0 GSC) in an NCAA Division II women's soccer game on Thursday, September 1.
 
Graduate midfielder Maria Marti Bartis (Girona, Spain) connected in the first 31 seconds, taking a pass from freshman Jane McKevitt (Thurles, Ireland) for an early 1-0 lead before UWG answered back less than nine minutes later. The Wolves Kelly Geary found Katie Mitchell, who then found the back of the net to knot the score at 1-1 at the 9:07 mark.
 
The score would stay that way over the next 80-plus minutes as the teams headed into overtime. West Georgia's Tyler Johnson would fire off a shot that went wide left early on before Marti Bartis made keeper Morgan Springer come up with the save at the 105:44 mark.
 
It would be a short lived success for Springer as freshman defender Manoly Baquerizo (Guayaquil, Ecuador) pounded a shot 22 seconds later that was blocked. The next one wouldn't be. On the next offensive possession, Baquerizo lofted a shot from the left side that found the back of the net at the 107:24 mark, giving the Lakers a season-opening 2-1 win.
 
Katie Mitchell led UWG with their lone goal while Geary picked up the assist. Springer played all 107:24 minutes in goal, making seven saves and surrendering both goals to fall to 0-1 on the year.
 
Marti Bartis and Baquerizo delivered the goals for Clayton State with McKevitt notching her first career assist. In net, redshirt-junior goalkeeper Jessica Charman (Harefield, England) earned her second career victory as she made seven saves and allowed just one score as she went the distance. She improves to 1-0 on the young season.
 
The Lakers return to action on Saturday, September 3 when they take on Christian Brothers (0-1, 0-0 GSC). Game time is set for 6:30 p.m. in Nashville, Tennessee. The game will be played on the campus of Trevecca Nazarene.
 
NOTES
The victory is the first at the collegiate level for Fergal Forde as a head coach … Forde is in his third year with the program and first serving as the interim head coach.