VALDOSTA, Ga. – In a series that has now featured four one goal finishes in five meetings, Clayton State (2-0, 0-0 PBC) outlasted Valdosta State (0-1, 0-0 PBC) 2-1 in an NCAA Division II women's soccer game on Sunday, September 8.
 
Playing in 95-degree weather that felt like 104-degrees for most of the game, the Blazers took advantage of an early offensive opportunity to get things started. In the eighth minute Lexie Hall advanced the ball down field before finding Kyleigh Reedy at approximately 25 yards out. As she surged ahead five more yards, the keeper came out, only to have the ball lofted over her head to make it 1-0 at the 7:14 mark.
 
That, however, would be the extent of their offense as they burned bright early and then faded down the stretch. That would be their only shot on goal in the first half while the Lakers put five on net, including the equalizer at the 29 minute mark. That would come when senior defender Janne Brouer (Aarhus, Denmark) headed home a corner from sophomore midfielder Moa Loftman (Karlstad, Sweden) to knot it a 1-1.
 
Clayton State's offense would come in bunches as last year's leading scorer, senior defender Manoly Baquerizo (Guayaquil, Ecuador), got a solid start on doing the same in her final season. She would take advantage of an offensive end turnover by VSU and turn it right around into the go-ahead goal to the far post with 35:04 gone by.
 
That would be the only offense that the Lakers would need as their defense made that margin hold up through to the half and turned away five shots, all on goal, in the second half to secure the 2-1 victory.
 
Reedy would post the only score for the Blazers while Hall had the only other offense with her assist on that goal. Lauren Hicks would fire off three shots, two on net, while both of Amber Saunders attempts were on goal. In net, Samantha Blanford was the hard luck loser as she went all 90 minutes and made eight saves but allowed both scores to fall to 0-1 on the year.
 
Brouer and Baquerizo would deliver their version of the "Killer B's" with a goal apiece while Loftman notched an assist to highlight the offense. On the day Clayton State produced 16 shots and put 10 on net and Baquerizo would have five of those with two on frame while sophomore midfielder Pia Haug (Ytre Enebakk, Norway), the star of the opener, put all three of hers on net.
 
In goal, junior Valentina Bonaiuto (Valencia, Venezuela) was masterful as she went the distance, making five saves and allowing just the one early score to improve to 2-0 in her first two games as a Laker.
 
Clayton State returns to action on Friday, September 13 when they take on Christian Brothers in a 12 p.m. matinee. That game will be played in Columbus, Georgia on the campus of Columbus State University.
 
NOTES
The game marked the fifth straight meeting between the two teams dating back to the 2015 season … with the win, Clayton State now leads the all-time series 3-2 and is the first to win on the road in the series … it is the second straight season that the Lakers have opened the season 2-0 … last year they defeated Auburn-Montgomery (5-3) and Valdosta (1-0) on their way to being undefeated through their first five contests.