MORROW, Ga. – Georgia Southwestern State University battled Clayton State University through 86 scoreless minutes Saturday afternoon, but a late goal lifted the Lakers to a 1-0 victory over the Lady Hurricanes in Peach Belt Conference women's soccer action at Laker Field.
The Lady Hurricanes (1-5-6, 0-3-4 PBC) matched Clayton State (7-5-1, 4-3-0 PBC) with eight shots apiece and held a 4-1 advantage in corner kicks, but were unable to find the back of the net.
GSW came out aggressively, earning a pair of corner kicks in the opening three minutes.
Maci Dunlap generated the first scoring opportunity at 2:28, putting a shot toward the bottom-left corner that Clayton State goalkeeper Rubie Kelley turned away.
The Lakers answered in the eighth minute when Laila Ortiz-Nolan forced GSW goalkeeper
Hannah Garrett into her first save of the afternoon.
Jordin Gundin sent an attempt wide in the 28th minute before
Zoie St. John tested Kelley with a shot toward the bottom-left corner in the 35th. Garrett kept the match scoreless with another save in the 40th minute, stopping an attempt from Lofton Pickett.
The teams entered halftime deadlocked at 0-0, having each recorded three shots and two shots on goal.
Jasmine White opened the second half with a shot that sailed high in the 48th minute. Clayton State responded with three attempts over the next 13 minutes, including two that required saves from Garrett.
GSW continued to search for the breakthrough as
Anna Wheatley sent an attempt high in the 63rd minute. White followed with a shot toward the bottom-right corner at 65:24, but Clayton State goalkeeper Claire Smith made the save.
The Lady Hurricanes generated another opportunity in the 81st minute when St. John sent a shot wide of the right post.
With the match appearing headed toward a scoreless draw, Clayton State broke through at 86:05. Holly Jones scored off an assist from Ninni Ringstad to give the Lakers a 1-0 advantage with less than four minutes remaining.
GSW pushed forward in the closing moments, earning a corner kick with 31 seconds remaining. St. John managed one final attempt as time expired, but her shot sailed high.
The teams finished even with eight shots each, while Clayton State held a 5-3 advantage in shots on goal. St. John led the Lady Hurricanes with three attempts, while White added two.
Garrett played all 90 minutes in goal for GSW, finishing with four saves. Kelley made two saves in the opening half for Clayton State before Smith recorded one in the second.
The result marked the third consecutive shutout loss for GSW against Clayton State since the Lady Hurricanes earned their first victory in the all-time series in 2023.
Next Up
GSW travels to Milledgeville, Ga., on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. Peach Belt Conference match against Georgia College & State University.
