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Columbus - Ashley Miller scored the game-winning goal in the second overtime period as the 11th-ranked Lady Cougars picked up a 3-2 win over Peach Belt Conference rival Clayton State Sunday afternoon at the Walden Soccer Complex.
After being fouled midway through the second overtime, Kansas Bayly took a free kick and served it into the box where it bounced around and wasn't able to be fully cleared. As it was bouncing out of the penalty box, Miller volleyed home the game-winner for her second goal of the season.
Since the 2006 season, CSU is 9-1-12 in overtime contests with their lone loss coming last year against UNC Pembroke to open up Peach Belt Conference play.
For the second consecutive game, Columbus State (13-1, 6-1) scored in the opening 10 minutes of action, this time getting on the board at the 3:21 mark as Stephanie Lowery got on the other end of a Mary Mancin kick and put the Lady Cougars in front 1-0. Lowery raced by a Laker defender and buried home her eighth goal of the season.
Like Friday night's contest, CSU struggled to tack on to their lead as they had countless scoring opportunities but didn't find the back of the net again in the first half. Bayly hit the crossbar in the 13th minute and had another making its way into the goal in the 24th minute but a Clayton State defender cleared it just in time.
Breaking on a counter attack in the second half, Tori Hood dribbled the length of the field and crossed a ball to Shea Wilby who made it a 2-0 contest. It was Wilby's second goal of the season.
With things looking comfortably in control for CSU, Clayton State (7-5-2, 3-3-2) took advantage of some miscues to equalize the match. Alicia Robinson drilled a free kick from 35 yards out just underneath the crossbar to bring the visitors to within one, 2-1 in the 73rd minute.
Four and a half minutes later, Natalia Valentine beat a CSU defender and an oncoming Mancin to a loose ball and knotted the game with an open net goal.
Kelsey Pelletier and Bayly both nearly won the game in regulation for the Lady Cougars as Pelletier was denied on a diving save and Bayly hit her second crossbar of the contest in the 86th minute.
The Lady Cougars dominated the stat sheet and the flow of the game as they outshot Clayton State 40-13 which is the third most shot attempts in a contest for Columbus State. They also held a 12-2 advantage in corner kicks.
CSU returns to action on Wednesday, October 17 when it travels to take on North Georgia in another PBC match-up. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. at the North Georgia Soccer Complex.
