Box Score KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- For the second straight game, Campbellsville University junior Casey Clarke scored a game winner to avoid a penalty kick shootout in the NCCAA Tournament.With the game even, 2-2, Clarke came off the bench in the 85th minute and netted his third game-winner in the last five games as Campbellsville beat Southwestern Christian University, 3-2, for fifth place at the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) championships.



Clarke was making a late attack but kicked the ball a little too hard when trying to switch the ball to his right foot as he approached the goal. That drew the goalkeeper out and Clarke recovered to stick the ball across the goal line for the winner.

"He took a really clever touch off his mistake," CU head coach Adam Preston said.

The win gives CU a 2-1 record in its second NCCAA National Tournament after losing its first game to Cedarville University, 4-0, Wednesday and then beating Hope International University on Thursday, 2-1 in double overtime on a Clarke golden goal.

"This whole tournament we haven't played our best, but there's only one team here that's going to have a better record than us, and that's the national champion," Preston said.

Campbellsville started the game strong, taking a 2-0 lead on a pair of first half goals by Jamie Allen assisted by Clarke. The England native finishes the season with 22 goals, the most-ever by a CU freshman and the second-most all-time for a Tiger player behind Camillo Muller's 25 in 2008. 

However, Southwestern evened the score in the second half.

After Alex Kewin scored the first goal for Southwestern, CU "looked a little bit scared and withdrew," Preston said.

That withdraw allowed Kewin to flick a second goal over the head of CU goalkeeper James Clements in the 83rd minute. That's when Preston sent Clarke back onto the field, along with a few other starters, to seal the win and avoid a penalty kick shootout, which would have occurred at the end of regulation for the consolation match.

Campbellsville closes the year with a program-best 19-6 record, breaking the record of 17-7 two years ago for the CU team that finished fourth at the NCCAA Tournament.

"It was really great season." Preston said. "There were times this year when we looked amazing and there were other times we didn't look so great but we were hungry for the win. It's a very easy group to work with and want to do the right thing. They want to improve and listen all the time."