FLORENCE, SC – Senior midfielder Ryan King recorded a hat trick including the winning score on a 25-yard free kick in the second overtime period to lift Clayton State University to a 3-2 victory over seventh-ranked Francis Marion University, Saturday afternoon (Nov. 2) in a battle for first-place in the Peach Belt Conference.

The loss snaps Francis Marion's six-match winning streak and drops the Patriots to 11-3-1 overall and 3-2-0 in the conference.  Clayton State improves to 12-4-0 and 4-1-0.

FMU will travel to USC Aiken on Wednesday at 4 p.m., before returning home for the last game of the regular season against Young Harris College on Saturday, Nov. 9, at 7 p.m.

The Patriots outshot the Lakers 20-8 and held an 8-4 advantage in corner kicks.

Sophomore forward Alvaro Zamora led FMU with seven shots, followed by sophomore Javier Bello with five shots and a goal.  Senior midfielder Travis Cooke had four shots, a goal, and an assist for the Patriots.

Bello's goal was a shot from the middle of the box after a cross from Cooke only 36 seconds after halftime.  That tally knotted the score at 1-1.  Cooke's goal came from the penalty spot at the 56:42 mark and again tied the match, this time at 2-2.

FMU junior goalkeeper Maximiliano Rocco posted two saves, while Laker keeper Theo Blachon tallied seven saves.  Rocco stopped a penalty kick by CSU's Brad Kay in the 72nd minute.

King's first goal came as a penalty kick at 22:58 and his second score was a header off a corner kick from Jack Stevens at 53:28.

Post-match comments from FMU head coach Luis Rincon

 

Clayton State Univ. (12-4-0, 4-1-0) def. #7 Francis Marion Univ. (11-3-1, 3-2-0) 3-2 in 2OTs
Date: 11/02/19      Attendance: 63

Goals by period          1  2 OT O2  Tot
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Clayton State Univ..   1  1  0  1   -  3
Francis Marion Univ.  0  2  0  0   -  2

SCORING SUMMARY:
1-0.  22:58 CST King,Ryan (13) (unassisted)
1-1.  45:36 FMU Javier Bello (7) (Travis Cooke) - cross from left side, 8-yard shot from m
2-1.  53:28 CST King,Ryan (14) (Stevens,Jack) - header at near post off corner kick
2-2.  56:42 FMU Travis Cooke (5) (unassisted)
3-2. 106:35 CST King,Ryan (15) (unassisted) - 25 yard shot from right angle (free kick

Shots: Clayton State 8, Francis Marion 20 ; Saves: Clayton State 7 (Blachon,Theo 7), Francis Marion 2 (Maximiliano Rocco 2)