FLORENCE, S.C. – Big time players show up in big time games and that was certainly the case for redshirt-senior midfielder Ryan King (County Durham, England) as he delivered all three goals in Clayton State's (12-4-0, 4-1-0 PBC) thrilling 3-2 victory at No. 7 Francis Marion (11-3-1, 3-2-0 PBC) in an NCAA Division II men's soccer game on Saturday, November 2.
 
Coming in as part of a four-way tie for first place in the Peach Belt Conference, both teams had everything to play for, particularly with the benefit of a head-to-head tiebreak on the line should the teams remain tied at the end of the season.
 
Billed as a defensive minded contest with two of the top keepers in the country in net at either end of the field, it would be anything but as both would give up multiple scores. That onslaught would begin at the 22:58 mark as a foul in the box gave the Lakers a penalty kick opportunity.
 
They would turn to not only one of the most dangerous goal scorers in the country, but one that was already 3-for-3 on penalty kicks this year. King would quickly make it perfection on all four of his attempts as he drilled the ball home for a 1-0 lead. That would be the margin that the teams would take to the break but would belie the wild second half that would be in store.
 
That wildness started right away as FMU's leading scorer Javier Bello knotted the game up at 1-1 just 24 seconds into the half. Travis Cooke delivered a pass to Bello right in front of the goal mouth and he proceeded to drill it home from eight yards out.
 
It would not take long for Clayton State to answer the bell and it would once again be King, this time with some help from sophomore midfielder Jack Stevens (Brisbane, Australia). The latter would deliver a corner to the near post that King would then put a head on to drive home the go-ahead goal, and his 14^th score of the season, with 53:28 gone by.
 
Up 2-1, it would stay that way but for mere minutes as the Patriots would answer back. That would come in the form of yet another penalty kick as a foul in the box allowed Cooke the high percentage opportunity. It would be one that he would not let slip away as he hit pay dirt to deadlock at 2-2 at the 56:42 mark.
 
After three goals over the first 11-plus minutes, both team's defensive units settled in but would not face the same challenges. For Francis Marion, they limited the Lakers to just one more shot over the final 38 minutes while seeing seven of their shots, including two requiring a save, be turned away. Two of those shots would come in the 88^th and 90^th minutes but would not be close as the teams headed to overtime.
 
That extra session would be that defensive affair that was expected at the outset as the teams combined for just two shots, both by FMU. Of those, the final one would require a save off a shot by Cooke at the 97:56 mark. Minutes later they would head to a decisive final 10 minute period.
 
And decisive it would be. Following a shot by the Patriots' Alvaro Zamora that went wide right in the 105^th minute, a foul at the 106:26 mark would provide King with another opportunity – this time to end it. Presented with a free kick from 25 yards out on the right side, he would curve the ball past the keeper and into the net for a golden goal and an incredible 3-2, double overtime victory.
 
Cooke led the offensive attack for Francis Marion with a goal and an assist while Bello had the only other score. Zamora would lead all players with a game-high seven shots, putting three of them on frame. In net, Maximiliano Rocco played all 106:35 and allowed all three goals while making just two saves to fall to 11-2-1.
 
King delivered his fourth career hat trick as he delivered all three scores to power the Lakers offensive attack while Stevens had the only assist on that side of the ledger. Junior goalkeeper Theo Blachon (St. Etienne, France) also went the distance with a career-high 106:35 and made seven saves against two goals allowed, one of which came on the toughest play in the game for a keeper, the penalty shot. He moves to 12-4-0 on the year.
 
"We are happy on the 'Return of the King'", said head coach Pete Petersen. "Happy for him, the team and Laker Nation."
 
The road gets little easier for the Lakers as they are faced with yet another daunting road test in the PBC. That road will lead them to No. 25 Lander (10-3-2, 4-1-0 PBC) in another battle of league leaders. That game is set for 7 p.m. in Greenwood, South Carolina on Wednesday, November 6.
 
NOTES
The three goals allowed by FMU keeper Maximiliano Rocco, who has eight shutouts on the year, was the most he has allowed in any single game this year … his previous high was two goals, once, in his only other loss of the season … King posted his second hat trick this season, equaling his mark from the 10-0 win at Southern Wesleyan (9/11) … with the win the Lakers are in a three-way tie for first place in the PBC with Young Harris and Lander … it is also a battle for the top two spots which would result in a bye into the PBC Tournament Semifinals ... the victory over a seventh ranked team matches a 4-3 overtime decision over No. 7 Young Harris on October 18, 2017.