MORROW, Ga. – In a neck-and-neck battle for Peach Belt Conference Tournament qualification and seeding, Clayton State (7-5-1, 4-4-1 PBC) came away with a key 3-1 victory over Young Harris (6-9-0, 5-5-0 PBC) in an NCAA Division II women's soccer game on Saturday, November 2.
 
Following 20 scoreless minutes it would be the Lakers that would break through first on a deep offensive push in the 21^st minute. That would see sophomore midfielder Pia Haug (Ytre Enebakk, Norway) charge to the end line to the left of the goal, save a ball from going out while drawing the keeper to her.
 
She then whipped the ball past her to the front of the goal mouth where sophomore midfielder Natalie Barbara (Ballarat, Australia) was waiting to deposit it in the back of the net for a 1-0 lead at the 20:14 mark. It would take 14 minutes but the Mountain Lions would answer with a similar score at the other end.
 
Eline Sand would take the ball down to the right of the goal on the endline and managed a pass to Bianey Serrano right in front of the goal. The latter then corralled it and put it to the left corner to tie the game at 1-1 with 34:19 gone by.
 
It wouldn't stay that way long though as the Lakers offense stirred once more. That would come in the form of a quick pass from sophomore forward Isabel Massa (Caracas, Venezuela) as she was halfway up the box on the left side. Senior midfielder Manoly Baquerizo (Guayaquil, Ecuador) knocked it out of the air with her foot and charged the keeper straight on before putting the ball to the back right of the net for a 2-1 lead at 38:24.
 
The teams would head to the half with that score but when it changed again it would once again be from Baquerizo. Freshman midfielder Teya Holloman (Marietta, Ga.) fired a ball to the far left side of the box in the 55^th minute, finding Baquerizo near the net for an easy score to the left corner with 54:31 off the clock.
 
Young Harris would manage five shots over the course of the entire half but perhaps their best opportunity came just minutes later. Bianey Serrano had an angle on the goal at the 58:13 mark only to watch her shot bang off the post and be played away. They would notch only two shots that would require saves the rest of the way, those coming in the 75^th and 87^th minutes, as Clayton State closed out the 3-1 victory.
 
The Mountain Lions would fire off eight shots but put only three on frame on the day. Serrano had the only one that found the back of the net off an assist from Sand while Aimee Durn ripped off a team-high four shots. Pien Van Kampen played the full 90 minutes and made eight saves against three goals allowed to drop to 6-6-0.
 
Baquerizo was the driving force on offense for Clayton State with her two goals on eight shots – an impressive seven of which landed on frame – while Barbara had the initial score. Holloman, Haug and Massa each delivered solo assists to round out the offense. Junior goalkeeper Valentina Bonaiuto (Valencia, Venezuela) produced another stellar effort, making a pair of saves while allowing just the one score. She improves to 7-4-1.
 
The Lakers are right back in action on Monday, November 4 against Georgia College (4-9-2, 3-5-1 PBC) thanks to a rain out from this past week. Game time is set for 6 p.m. at Laker Field in a game critical to both team's postseason aspirations.
 
NOTES
With the victory, combined with losses by Georgia College, Francis Marion and Lander, Clayton State moved from a tie for the eighth and final spot in the PBC Tournament to sixth.
 
FULL GAME VIDEO


SENIOR DAY PHOTO GALLERY
-