MORROW, GEORGIA — The University of South Carolina Beaufort women's soccer team fell 1-0 to Clayton State University on Thursday afternoon. The Lakers scored late in the opening half and held on for the shutout victory.
"We can talk about the travel and make excuses but that's not who we want to be. 17 corners, plenty of shots, great possession through the thirds. Gotta score goals to win games and our coaches will take it on the chin and figure out how we can help our players do that," stated head coach Gary Boughton.
USCB falls to 3-4-0 overall and 0-2 in conference play, while Clayton State improves to 3-2-1 on the season and 1-1 in league action.
The Sand Sharks finished the afternoon with a 14-9 advantage in shots, including five shots on goal compared to four for the Lakers. Graysen Asher recorded three saves in goal for USCB.
Asher kept the game scoreless early, making back-to-back saves on Clayton State shots on goal in the opening minutes. Following another save by Asher, the Sand Sharks had a pair of corner-kick opportunities along with two shots but Clayton State kept the game scoreless.
Clayton State broke through in the 34th minute when Holly Jones found the bottom-right corner of the net to give the Lakers a 1-0 advantage at the 33:53 mark. The Lakers carried the lead into halftime.
USCB continued to push for the equalizer in the second half. With an early shot on goal, but Clayton State goalkeeper Claire Smith made the save to hold the Lakers' advantage.
The Sand Sharks continued to create opportunities late in the match, including additional corner kicks and three more shots, two of which were on target. Clayton State's defense held strong as the Lakers secured the 1-0 victory.
The Sand Sharks return home Wednesday, Sept. 23, to face Middle Georgia before hosting Georgia College & State on Saturday September 26th.
Stay tuned to uscbathletics.com and follow Sand Shark Athletics on social media for the latest news, updates, and information.
