Lakers going to NCAAs

The Clayton College & State University men's soccer team received an invitation to the "Big Dance" Monday. The "Big Dance" is the 16-team NCAA Division II Soccer Tournament, and for the first time ever, the Lakers will have an opportunity to put on their "boogie shoes" and strut their stuff.

Clayton State (18-3) will travel to Francis Marion (17-2) in a first-round Southeast Regional match Nov. 11 at 1 p.m. The Division II tournament field includes only 16 teams and the winner of the CCSU match will play the winner of the South Regional match between Christian Brothers (16-4) and Barry University (14-3). The quarterfinal matches for the 29th annual event will be played Nov. 18-19, and the Final Four competition is set for the first weekend in December.

"I am excited about the opportunity for our players and Clayton State," said head coach John Rootes. "It's a definite sign that our program has turned the corner. In three short years, we have gone from a team that won only two matches in 1997 to a squad that this year won 18 matches, the Peach Belt Tournament and received a berth to the national tournament."

Coach Rootes, who took over the CCSU program in 1998 from New Hampshire College, is no stranger to the NCAA Division II tournament as he consistently led NHC to the tourney during his 10-year tenure. In addition to winning the NCAA National Championship, his teams received six tournament bids and made four appearances in the Elite Eight.

FMU makes the tournament field despite falling 2-1 in overtime to USC Spartanburg in the Peach Belt Conference Tournament semifinals last Saturday. Clayton State earns its first tournament bid after winning the PBC Tournament on FMU's home field Sunday afternoon. Before the semifinal loss, Francis Marion was the No. 2 ranked team in the country, while CCSU, who defeated USCS 1-0 in the finals, was ranked 20th. Earlier this season, Clayton State fell to Francis Marion 2-0.

"Francis Marion has played well all season and will be a formidable opponent," said Rootes. "But, we have been playing well the last several weeks, and I feel like we are beginning to gel at the perfect time."

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