Worcester, MA ---  Clark sophomore Josh Demers (Warwick, RI) registered his first career hat trick, netting the final tally 2:53 into the first overtime as the Cougars defeated crosstown rival Worcester State, 3-2, in non-league men's soccer action this evening.

The win for the Clark not only snaps a four-match winless streak but gives head coach David Kulik his 100th career victory. The Lancers, meanwhile, drop their third consecutive match and dip to 2-5-1.

Clark (4-4-1) opened the scoring in the first half when Demers took a feed from senior Alexander Herlich (Andover, MA) and beat WSU first-year keeper Emil Dedo (Worcester, MA/Doherty) for a 1-0 lead.

Worcester State answered almost immediately in the opening moments in the second half when sophomore Chris Sanborn (Holden, MA) set up freshman Michael Jordan (Ludlow, MA) for his first collegiate marker at 45:39.

The Cougars scored their second goal when, following a penalty shot by senior Adrian Blackadar (Warwick, RI) was turned back by Dedo, Demers pounced on the rebound and snuck a ball in the left corner for a 2-1 Clark lead at the 60:09 mark.

The Lancers, however, wouldn't go away and four minutes later second-year Alex Wolfel (Unionville, CT) raced up the left side, beat a defender and blasted a shot past junior netminder Ryan King (Brimfield, MA) to even the score.

Things stayed that way until the opening minutes of overtime when Demers registered his third goal with help from junior Gianluca Ranallo (Scarsdale, NY) at 92:07.

Clark controlled the game statistically, holding a 20-7 edge in shots and a 9-5 advantage in corner kicks.

Dedo turned back five shots in net for the Lancers while King made a pair of stops in picking up his fourth victory.

WSU returns to the field on Saturday when they host Bridgewater State at 4:00 PM while Clark travels to Wheaton for a 1 o'clock NEWMAC showdown.

Full Release Courtesy of Clark Sports Information