GREENWOOD, S.C. – Seeking their first win in Greenwood in nearly a decade, Clayton State (3-3, 0-1 PBC) went toe-to-toe with Lander (4-2, 1-0 PBC) before falling by a 2-0 score in an NCAA Division II men's soccer game on Saturday, September 16.
 
Nothing would be decided in the first half as both teams headed to the locker room deadlocked at 0-0. How they got there, however, was telling as LU rifled off eight shots while the Lakers managed just one. That one was on goal, however, as compared to just two for the Bearcats. Clayton State's defense also turned away six corners over the first 45 minutes.
 
That would all change within the first two minutes of the second half as Richard Bryan found George Barmby for the go-ahead goal at 46:37. It would stay a 1-0 margin until the 74^th minute when Bryan converted on a goal from Jordan Skelton at the 73:38 mark. That score would put the game away as the Bearcats salted away the final 16-plus minutes for a 2-0 victory.
 
Bryan and Barmby each netted a goal to lead Lander while the former would add an assist, along with one by Skelton. Dean Cowdroy played all 90 minutes in goal and made one save to earn the shutout victory and move to 4-2 on the year.
 
For Clayton State, the offense would be limited to just three shots, those coming from redshirt-sophomore midfielder Connor Atkinson (Liverpool, England), junior midfielder Tom Mitchinson (Middlesbrough, England) and freshman midfielder Mitro Turunen (Vantaa, Finland). Only Atkinson would manage to put one on goal. Redshirt-senior goalkeeper Oliver Pannell (Nottingham, England) went the distance, allowed a pair of goals and made five saves to drop to 3-2 on the year.
 
The Lakers are now off until next Saturday, September 23 when they host Limestone (3-1-1, 2-0-0 CC). Game time is set for 2:30 p.m. as the frontend of a double-header with the women's program.