EVANS, Ga. – No. 5 seed Clayton State (8-9-1, 2-4-1 PBC) could not withstand a four goal second half as regular season champion No. 23 Lander (12-3-1, 6-0-1 CC) posted a 5-1 victory in a Peach Belt Conference Tournament Semifinal and NCAA Division II men's soccer game on Friday, November 3.
 
Making their first semifinal appearance since 2014, the Lakers would take advantage of an early opportunity to get on the board first against the top seed. Sophomore defender Hector Gutierrez (Asheville, N.C.) found freshman midfielder Dionysius Harmon (Loganville, Ga.) in front of the net where he buried it for a 1-0 lead at 13:17.
 
Clayton State's defense would hold up until the 41^st minute when a corner kick by Oliver Brock resulted in Ian Foulger putting home the game-tying goal at 40:39. That 1-1 deadlock would hold up through halftime but only until the 52^nd minute. With 51:39 gone by Thibault Chretien dished to Robbie Young for the go-ahead goal to make it 2-1.
 
The Bearcats would stretch the lead to 3-1 just under 15 minutes later. Sam Lofts banged one off of the post but it was quickly recovered by Jamie Lunn who proceeded to drive it home at the 66:36 mark. With 78:04 gone by it would be the duo of Brock and Foulger combining again to push to a three goal lead. Lofts would add a score at 84:50 to make if 5-1 before LU out the semifinal victory by that margin.
 
Foulger led Lander with a pair of goals while Lofts finished with a goal and an assist. Young and Lunn each notched solo scores and Brock had a pair of assists to round out the offense. Defensively, Aleksander Holboe started and played 45 minutes, allowing a goal and making two saves to move to 1-1 on the year. Dean Cowdroy played the second half and did not allow a goal or record a save.
 
Harmon's eighth goal of the year and Gutierrez's second career assist accounted for Clayton State's offense on the day. Redshirt-senior goalkeeper Oliver Pannell (Nottingham, England) played all 90 minutes in goal, surrendering five goals and making six saves. He finishes the year at 6-9-1.
 
The Lakers close out the 2017 campaign with an 8-9-1 overall mark and 2-4-1 record in Peach Belt Conference play.
 
NOTES
The appearance in the Peach Belt Conference Championships was the program's 20^th in the last 21 years … the berth in the semifinals was Clayton State's 12^th.