FRANKLIN SPRINGS, Ga. – Making their first trip to Franklin Springs, Clayton State (1-1, 0-0 PBC) notched the first two goals and held on for a 2-1 win over Emmanuel (0-1-1) in an NCAA Division II men's soccer game on Sunday, September 3.
Â
Following more than 23 minutes of scoreless play it would be the Lakers that got on the board first. Sophomore defender
Hector Gutierrez (Asheville, N.C.) moved the ball up the field before spotting freshman defender
Dionysius Harmon (Loganville, Ga.) in the offensive end. A physical presence, Harmon then muscled his way in and buried the ball into the back of the net for a 1-0 lead at 23:02.
Â
After taking that margin into the half, Clayton State wasted little time in extending their lead in the opening minutes of the second half. Sophomore forward
Dean Foster (Johannesburg, South Africa), who scored the game-winner in the Georgia State exhibition, notched his first official career goal at the 50:09 mark to make it 2-0.
Â
That score would hold up until the 70
th minute when EC's Shane Cronin lofted an on-point pass from the far right side to the left corner of the goal. All in one motion, Sam Mutton put a head on it to redirect it into the back left corner of the goal to cut the margin to 2-1 at the 69:25 mark. From there, however, Clayton State's defense went back into lockdown mode and closed out the one goal victory.
Â
Mutton's goal and Cronin's assist would be the only offense for the Lions while Andy Dunnett played all 90 minutes in goal. In that time he made four saves and allowed both goals to drop to 0-1-1 on the year.
Â
Leading the way for the Lakers were goals by Harmon and Foster, each the first of their careers, while Gutierrez notched an assist. Redshirt-senior goalkeeper
Oliver Pannell (Nottingham, England) was strong in net with four saves and one goal allowed as he went the distance. The win moves his record to 1-1 in the young season.
Â
The Lakers return home to face Montevallo on Thursday, September 7. Game time is set for 7 p.m. at Laker Field and will be the team's home opener.
Â