MORROW, Ga. – Behind a steady offensive push, Clayton State (1-0, 0-0 PBC) powered past Auburn-Montgomery (0-1, 0-0 GSC) by a 4-1 score in an NCAA Division II women's soccer game on Thursday, September 5 in the season opener for both teams.
 
The Lakers would waste no time getting on the board in their first game of the season as sophomore midfielder Moa Loftman (Karlstad, Sweden) delivered a corner on point in the eighth minute of the game. That ball would find the foot of freshman midfielder Pia Haug (Ytre Enebakk, Norway) who proceeded to power it home for a 1-0 lead at the 7:43 mark.
 
It would take less than 10 minutes for them to extend that lead to 2-0, this time as freshman Teya Holloman (Marietta, Ga.) delivered a ball from the right wing to junior midfielder Ann-Cathrin Zabel (Schwarme, Germany). The latter than drilled it home with 16:03 gone by. That margin would then hold the remaining nearly 29 minutes as the teams headed to half.
 
It would actually persist better than 14 minutes into the second frame until AUM got on the board in the 60^th minute. That would be in the form of a cross from Emily Cruce to Mayson Jaindl who delivered the Warhawks first score of the season with 59:37 gone by. It would also be their first official score as an official NCAA Division II program, having earned full-fledged status earlier this summer.
 
The Lakers would add to the lead, stretching to 3-1 off of a corner – however the score would come off of an Auburn-Montgomery own goal as the ball ricocheted of a defender on the far post at the 74:55 mark.
 
It would take until the final minute but Clayton State would put the finishing touches on with a fourth goal with 89:32 gone by. Haug would factor into the last goal just as she did the first, this time assisting on a nearly open net score by senior defender Janne Brouer (Aarhus, Denmark) to close out the 4-1 victory.
 
Jaindl led AUM with their lone score while Cruce notched the assist on that goal. The former would also post two of the Warhawks three shots, both on net. Chloe Kistler started and went 76:06, allowing three goals while making 13 saves to fall to 0-1 on the year. Dejon Fletcher came in in relief, playing 13:54 and making three saves against one goal.
 
Haug would lead the way for the Lakers with a goal and an assist while Zabel and Brouer each added solo scores. Holloman and Loftman chipped in with an assist apiece to close out the Clayton State based offense, not factoring in the own goal by AUM. In net, junior Valentina Boniauto (Valencia, Venezuela) posted a strong debut as she went the distance, making two saves against the lone score to improve to 1-0 on the season.
 
The Lakers return to action on Sunday, September 8 when they travel to Valdosta State. Game time is set for 6 p.m. in Valdosta, Georgia.
 
NOTES
Haug tied her career-high for both goals and assists … marked her fourth time with a goal and second with an assist.

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