MORROW, Ga. –
Nathan Grady made nine saves and
Theo Hoang scored his team-leading eighth goal of the season Wednesday afternoon as Georgia Southwestern State University battled Clayton State University to a 1-1 draw in Peach Belt Conference men's soccer action at Laker Field. Hoang ranks fourth in the conference in goals scored.
The Hurricanes (3-7-5, 0-5-5 PBC) earned a point on the road despite facing 21 shots and 11 corner kicks from the Lakers (5-4-6, 3-3-4 PBC). The result marked GSW's fifth conference draw of the season, setting a program record for the most ties in Peach Belt play.
GSW came out attacking, with
Jose Monteagudo forcing Clayton State goalkeeper Kalle Kuisma into a save just 81 seconds after kickoff. The Hurricanes earned an early penalty kick opportunity in the seventh minute, but Kuisma turned away Hoang's attempt to keep the match scoreless.
The Hurricanes continued to apply pressure.
Mac Vargas put a shot toward the upper-left corner in the 14th minute, forcing another save from Kuisma, before GSW broke through less than two minutes later.
Hoang found the back of the net at 15:21 off an assist from Vargas to give the Hurricanes a 1-0 advantage.
Clayton State responded with several scoring opportunities, but Grady kept the Lakers off the scoreboard. The GSW goalkeeper made three saves over a nine-minute stretch, denying Adrian Gallegos twice and Jurica Folnegovic once.
Sean Carlos Rivera nearly doubled the Hurricanes' lead in the 33rd minute, but his shot toward the bottom-right corner was stopped by Kuisma.
GSW carried the 1-0 advantage into halftime after outshooting Clayton State 7-6 over the opening 45 minutes.
Juan Franco tested Kuisma just 41 seconds into the second half, but the Lakers goalkeeper made the save to keep the deficit at one.
Clayton State controlled much of the second-half attack, generating 15 shots and 10 corner kicks over the final 45 minutes. Grady continued to turn away the Lakers, stopping attempts from Joao Amaral and Agustin Bezara as GSW maintained its narrow lead.
The Lakers finally broke through at 77:00 when Gallegos scored off assists from Arttu Leivonen and Fabian Wagner to even the match at 1-1.
GSW looked for an immediate response, with
Dante Johnson and Hoang both sending attempts high in the next two minutes.
Clayton State continued to press in the closing stages, but Grady made three saves between the 81st and 84th minutes to preserve the tie. The Lakers came close to taking the lead in the 86th minute when Eric Cruz struck the left post.
The Hurricanes held firm through the final minutes to secure their fifth conference point of the season.
Clayton State finished with a 21-10 advantage in shots, including a 10-6 edge in shots on goal. The Lakers also held an 11-1 advantage in corner kicks.
Hoang led GSW with three shots, including two on goal, while Monteagudo added two attempts. Grady played all 90 minutes and finished with nine saves, while Kuisma recorded five for Clayton State.
The Hurricanes have now held their opponents to one goal or fewer in four consecutive matches. Wednesday's draw also marked a rare result for GSW at Laker Field, where the Hurricanes entered the afternoon with a 1-13-1 all-time record.
Next Up
GSW returns to Americus for its home finale on Saturday at 5 p.m. against the University of South Carolina Aiken.
