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By: Stephen Williams

COLUMBUS – Riley Clark netted the game-winning goal in the second half to lift the second-ranked Columbus State University women's soccer team to a 2-1 win over Wingate on Sunday afternoon. The match wrapped up the CSU Collegiate Invitational at the Walden Soccer Complex.
 
The victory pushed the Lady Cougars to 2-0-0 on the season, while Wingate fell to 0-1-1.
 
"Riley is a goal scorer," head coach Jay Entlich said. "I just had a conversation with her saying that the goals were going to come and she came up with a big one today.
 
"We played two really good opponents this weekend and we are very happy to come away with two victories. We still have some growing to do, but this was a good start."
 
Wingate took the opening possession of the match and marched straight toward the CSU net, forcing Maylyn Parsons to make the first of her five saves on the day. From there, the two offenses went to work as Columbus State got off six shots in the first 20 minutes.
 
The Lady Cougars finally got on the board in the 24^th minute as Hugrun Elvarsdottir played a perfect ball through the defense onto the foot of Nicole Corcione. The reigning Southeast Region Player of the Year dribbled into the box and beat the keeper on the near post for her second goal of the season.
 
The Columbus State attack continued to pelt the WU net as Clark sent a pair of shots toward the goal in the next two minutes that required saves from Alexis Jones. CSU outshot the Bulldogs 11-7 in the first half, but held just a 1-0 lead.
 
After the break, it was much of the same as the Lady Cougars took seven more attempts at the net with Jones making four more saves.
 
Wingate leveled the match at one in the 64^th minute on a counterattack. Kimmi Moore and Brooke Howell played a two-man game passing back and forth in the attacking third where Moore finished in the left side of the net for her first goal of the season.
 
The match would stay tied for less than 90 seconds however, as Clark found the eventual winner in minute 66. Freshman Tehgan Anguilm drove down the left side of the pitch before sending a cross into the box. Cassandra Wade deflected the ball to Clark who beat the keeper to the left post.
 
WU had its best chance to tie the match again with just over 10 minutes to play. A Lady Cougar clearance was knocked down in the box and wound up on the foot of Naomi Matley. Parsons came up huge for CSU, knocking the ball wide of the net and keeping the lead intact.
 
The Lady Cougars would hang on over the final 10 minutes to earn their 10^th consecutive home victory.
 
Parsons grabbed her second victory in as many chances for the Lady Cougars. Jones took the loss despite making 11 saves.
 
For the match, CSU outshot Wingate 23-14.
 
Columbus State will hit the road for the next three matches, beginning with a trip to Lynn on Friday. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. in Boca Raton, Fla.