MORROW, Ga. – A total of 70 career games, 34 at Laker Field, and senior defender Jordan Knight (Javea, Spain) picked the most opportune moment for his first career goal as he sent No. 3 Seed Clayton State (14-5-0, 5-2-0 PBC) to the Peach Belt Conference Tournament Semifinals for a third straight season with a 2-1 overtime victory over No. 6 Seed Flagler (4-12-1, 3-4-0 PBC) in an NCAA Division II men's soccer game on Tuesday, November 12.
 
Facing a team that just decimated No. 21 Lander to even make the field, the Lakers did not come in taking their quarterfinal opponent lightly. It was just last year that they were in that position and upset No. 3 Seed North Georgia in a shootout.
 
That being the case, Clayton State came out firing – literally – as they ripped off three shots in the first nine minutes and drew a pair of corner kicks. It would be the second one that would do the damage, however, as sophomore midfielder Jack Stevens (Brisbane, Australia) lined up to take it.
 
He placed the ball directly in front of the goal mouth where one of the most dangerous goal scorers in the Southeast Region awaited. Already with 16 goals on the year, and second in the region, redshirt-senior midfielder Ryan King (County Durham, England) tied for the lead in that category as he drove the ball home to give the Lakers a 1-0 lead at the 15:52 mark.
 
That lead would hold up through the rest of the first half and nearly 20 minutes into the second before the Saints would break through with the equalizer. On a ball up the left side by Jonas Schmitt, Flagler's Peik Koskinen raced ahead and was able to play a ball into the right corner to deadlock it at 1-1 with 64:51 gone by. From there the teams would combine for only four shots, three by the Lakers, and only one on frame to head to overtime.
 
The extra session would see Flagler's Owen Punselie send one wide left in the 93^rd minute before Joran Osland put one on frame a little more than a minute later that required a save by junior goalkeeper Theo Blachon (St. Etienne, France). As it turned out, that would end up being a monumental save as it set the stage for a tremendous finish.
 
Approaching the final minute of overtime, sophomore forward Brad Kay (Manchester, England) sprinted down field along the left sideline. From there he delivered a ball to the right corner of the net – to an unexpected recipient. Waiting there, up from his defensive backfield position, was Knight.
 
He proceeded to drive the ball into the back left corner, not only for his first career goal in 70 games but also to lock up a PBC Semifinal berth for a third straight season with a thrilling 2-1 win.
 
Koskinen's goal and Schmitt's assist accounted for the only offense for the Saints while current PBC Player of the Week Dan McGuire led the team with five shots, including three on net. In goal, Andrea Lubbia played all 99:03, making six saves while allowing both goals to end the season at 4-11-1.
 
For Clayton State it would be a tale of opposite ends of the spectrum as King, with 29 career goals, and Knight with now just one, would lead the way with a score apiece. Stevens and Kay would deliver assists on those, respectively, while King led the way with five of the Lakers' 16 shots, accounting for two of the eight they would put on frame. Kay added four attempts with half of those on net.
 
In between the pipes Blachon was as strong as ever as he went the distance, making four saves and allowing just the one score in a pressure packed affair. That effort moved his record on the season to an impressive 14-5.
 
"I'm proud of our guys and how they responded," said head coach Pete Petersen. "That was a tough situation with the temperature and the play of our opponent and they got the job done. Really happy to see how Brad [Kay] got back in there and stepped up when we needed him to and happy to see Jordan come through. Great effort."
 
The Lakers have now earned themselves not only a third straight trip to the Peach Belt Conference Tournament Semifinals, but a third consecutive date with No. 21 Lander. After having met in each of the past two seasons, they'll get together again in Augusta, Georgia at 8 p.m. on Friday, November 15.
 
The winner of that game, set to be held at Blanchard Woods Park, will advance to the PBC Championship Game on Sunday, November 17 with an automatic berth to the 2019 NCAA Division II Tournament on the line.
 
NOTES
Clayton State and Lander have met in the postseason on November 3, 2017 (5-1 LU) and November 2, 2018 (2-0 No. 7 LU) … King tied Wingate's Paul Ngongo for the Southeast Region lead in goals with 17 and is now just one point behind him with 36.
 
FULL GAME VIDEO