Soccer season ends for Lakers in OT

Clayton College & State University and Francis Marion University, two of the top defensive teams in the nation, battled for 150 minutes and four overtime periods, and it still wasn't enough to decide who would advance to the NCAA Elite Eight Soccer Championships Saturday.

The match had to be decided by penalty kicks and third-ranked Francis Marion broke a 1-1 tie, defeating 15th ranked Clayton College & State University 5-3 in the shoot-out. FMU (17-2-1) advances to the NCAA quarterfinals against Barry (Fla.) University next weekend.

The match, considered a tie for both teams, closes CCSU's season with a record-setting 18-3-1 mark.

"The fans got their money's worth," said CCSU Coach John Rootes. "I am very proud of the way our guys competed. It was a very even match with two of the best defenses in the country. It was just a shame that it couldn't be decided in regulation."

In the penalty-kick shoot-out, FMU chose to go first. Patriot sophomore Ricardo Montoya scored, as did Clayton State sophomore Michael Lynch in the first round. FMU sophomore Dennis Salomon scored into the right side of the goal, before FMU junior goalkeeper Mike Frazee dived to his right and stopped the shot of CCSU freshman Liam Oddie in the second round, giving the Patriots a 2-1 advantage.

The two squads then traded goals in the next two rounds (FMU's Dzevat Nikocaj and Justin Smith/CCSU's Marco Capazario and Josh Grenier), before FMU junior defender Kirk Bevington beat Laker keeper Warren van der Westhuizen in the fifth round, giving the Patriots an insurmountable 5-3 lead.

"I am not a big fan of penalty kicks, but our kids converted theirs and Mike [Frazee] came up with the big save," said FMU head Coach Murray Hartzler.

"When a match goes to overtime, it takes will power to win. I thought Clayton State's age experience showed during overtime, in that they were more composed, but we didn't let the pressure defeat us, and now we have a victory that the kids can remember for the rest of their lives."

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