MORROW, Ga. – October 16, 2007 – For most of the season, senior All-Peach Belt Conference and Division II All-Region midfielder Hailab Habtom has been in the background amongst the success of the Clayton State Laker men’s soccer team.

On Tuesday, however, he stepped up to the forefront.

Habtom scored four goals as 16th-ranked Clayton State geared up for its Saturday night showdown at 20th-ranked Lander with an 8-1 rout over visiting North Greenville at Laker Field. The victory improves Clayton State to 10-3-1 overall, and the Lakers have allowed only two goals in those 10 victories.

Habtom more than doubled his season total for goals in the game. He recorded the hat trick in the first half with a penalty kick score in the second minute, followed by goals in the 32nd and 42nd minutes of the first half to give the Lakers a 5-0 halftime lead. Habtom wasn’t done, however, as he scored again in the first minute of the second half.

However, Habtom wasn’t alone in the Lakers’ most offensive output in game since a 9-0 shutout over North Greenville in 2005. Freshman midfielder Marijan Babic scored in the fifth minute, while senior midfielder Dean Gilewicz scored his second goal in as many games with a score in the 22nd minute. Senior midfielder Tonny Madegwa tallied his eighth goal of the season in the 61st minute, and freshman sensation Jamal Geathers scored his Peach Belt Conference-leading 14th goal in the 84th minute.

For the game, the Lakers dominated, out-shooting North Greenville 43-9. The 43 shots is a new single-game Clayton State record. In addition to the goals, Madegwa recorded a hat-trick in assists, raising his Peach Belt-leading total to 10 on the season.

The Laker goalkeeping combination of Janiel Simon and Billy Hale combined for four saves, while Joshua Settle and Cody Gray combined for 16 saves for North Greenville (5-7). The Crusaders’ lone goal came in the 48th minute on a sliding shot by Tyson Jeffers.

Clayton State and Lander will battle at 7 p.m. on Saturday at Lander with possible Peach Belt title implications on the line.