SPARTANBURG, S.C. --- OCTOBER 21, 2006 --- With the opportunity to wrap up the outright Peach Belt Conference championship and host the upcoming Peach Belt Conference Tournament next weekend, the Clayton State Laker men’s soccer team came up on the short end on Saturday, dropping a tough 1-0 decision at USC-Upstate.

The defeat snapped a five-game winning streak by the Lakers, who end their regular season 9-8 overall and 5-2 in the Peach Belt. The Laker defeat, coupled with Lander’s 5-0 victory over North Georgia, secures the Bearcats the top seed in the upcoming Peach Belt Conference Tournament.

Lander will play host to the Peach Belt Conference semifinals and championship on Friday and Saturday (Oct. 27-28).

This was as close to the vest game as it could get. Neither team could muster much offense in the first half. Clayton State had a huge opportunity in the 40^th minute, but Spartan goalkeeper Ryan Cooper made a key save on a shot attempt by the Lakers’ Kevin Crooks.

USC-Upstate (11-2-2, 4-2-1) broke through in the 48^th minute when Troy Mellanson scored on a header off an assist by David Stovall.

Clayton State had to play a man down for the last 30 minutes of the game when forward Angel Kalinov was ejected from the game with a red card.

Laker goalkeeper Heath Padgett recorded one save in the defeat, while Cooper recorded two saves. A total of four yellow cards were issued during the game.

Clayton State will host its quarterfinal game of the 2006 Peach Belt Conference Tournament on Tuesday against an opponent to be determined.