EVANS, Ga. - Andy Ludewig scored a game-winning goal in double overtime Friday, sending the Lander Bearcats into the Peach Belt Conference Men's Soccer Tournament final with a 2-1 victory over Clayton State University at Blanchard Woods Park outside Augusta, Ga.
No. 2 seed Lander improved to 12-5-1 going into Sunday's PBC Tournament final while the third-seeded Lakers fell to 11-6-1. The Bearcats will face No. 1 seed Flagler Sunday afternoon at 3:30 in the PBC championship game at Blanchard Woods Park. Flagler scored a go-ahead goal with only 7:14 left in beating fourth seed Montevallo, 3-2, in Friday's other semifinal. Lander beat Flagler 1-0 in a regular-season match in St. Augustine, Fla., Oct. 10 on a goal by Aaron Brittain.
Ludewig's golden goal came at the 106:35 mark Friday off an assist from Jamie Ramm. A flick in the box led to Ludewig's blast into the net, giving the Bearcats their second win over Clayton in just seven days. Lander beat the Lakers, 1-0, in Greenwood last Saturday to clinch second place in the conference. It was Ludewig's fourth goal of the season.
Clayton State took a 1-0 lead at the 22:58 mark when Brian Endres scored off Kyle Timm's assist. Endres opportunistically picked up a loose ball and placed it into the lower left of the net.
The Bearcats pulled into a 1-1 tie in the second half when their top playmakers got together with Brittain scoring on a give-and-go in the box off an assist from Adam Arthur at the 64:25 mark. Arthur, who has a league-high 14 goals, was credited with his eighth assist of the season. It was Brittain's 12th goal of the season.
Clayton State out-shot the Bearcats 16-10 and had a 10-3 edge in corner kicks. Lander's Matthew Atkinson and Clayton's David Cristofoli each had two saves.