DAHLONEGA, Ga. – Taking on one of the best teams in the country, Clayton State (5-5-1, 2-4-1 PBC) went into the 72^nd minute in a scoreless battle before dropping a narrow 1-0 decision at No. 20 North Georgia (11-2-0, 7-1-0 PBC) in an NCAA Division II women's soccer game on Wednesday, October 23.
 
Neither team would mount any serious offensive threats in the first half as they combined for just five shots, with the Nighthawks taking four of those. Together they resulted in just one save as the teams headed to the half deadlocked at 0-0.
 
That would change in the second half as UNG came out firing, notching eight of their nine shots in the first 19 minutes. While that barrage would keep the Lakers on their toes, it would be their ninth and final attempt that would do the damage.
 
After surviving that assault, the Clayton State defense finally showed a smidge of vulnerability and North Georgia took advantage of it in the 72^nd minute. They would have to earn it, however, as it took a bang-bang play as Payton Bisso and Abbie Crane went rapid fire to get the ball to leading scorer Taylor Malasek. The latter would then drive the ball home for her 12^th score of the season, this one coming at the 71:31 mark.
 
Following that breakthrough goal, it would be a return to defense as the Lakers could gain no traction over the final minutes. They registered just three shots all of the second half, with two of those coming in the 62^nd minute. The final would come with just 16 seconds remaining and that last opportunity would dissipate as the shot sailed high to close out the narrow 1-0 decision.
 
Malasek's lone goal led the way for UNG while Bisso and Crane had solo assists to account for the rest of the offense. Morgan Ramby played all 90 minutes, making just two saves to secure the shutout and move to 11-2.
 
For Clayton State it would be tough sledding offensively as they managed just four shots on the night, half of those on goal. Sophomore midfielders Pia Haug (Ytre Enebakk, Norway) and Isabel Massa (Caracas, Venezuela) were among four Lakers recording a shot and the only ones to put theirs on net.
 
Perhaps the most impressive performance of the night came from junior goalkeeper Hannah Richards (Huddersfield, England). After playing all 1,527 minutes in goal a year ago – and zero so far this season – she stepped in and took a Top-25 team to the brink. On the night she played all 90 minutes, making one save and allowing the lone goal to drop to 0-1 in her first action.
 
The Lakers are back in action on Saturday, October 26 when they travel to Florence, South Carolina to take on Francis Marion. Game time is set for 5 p.m.
 
NOTES
This is the second straight season that Clayton State has allowed just one goal to a nationally ranked North Georgia squad … on October 15, 2018 they notched a 1-1 tie at Laker Field when the Nighthawks were No. 15 in the country.