EVANS, Ga. | Young Harris College claimed their fourth Peach Belt Conference Tournament title in the past five years as the No. 2 ranked Mountain Lions won a penalty-kick shootout 5-4 over No. 7 Lander University Sunday (Nov. 4) afternoon at Blanchard Woods Park. 

The teams battled through 90 minutes of regulation and 20 minutes of overtime scoreless. It is the third consecutive year that the PBC Tournament Championship has been decided by penalty kicks.

The Mountain Lions improved to 16-0-1 and earned the league's automatic bid to next week's NCAA Division II National Tournament, while Lander fell to 14-1-3. The tournament field will be announced Monday (Nov. 5) at 6 p.m.

Young Harris outshot Lander 14-11 despite having to play a man down the final 21 minutes and held a 10-3 advantage on corner kicks. Christian Kjellsby recorded three saves in net for YHC, while Jacob Withers had five for Lander.

Both team converted their first four penalty kick opportunities with Mikie Rowe, Kevin Coiffic, Val Feeney, and Dani Fischer making them for Young Harris. Sia Jamedar's attempt by the Bearcats on their final penalty kick gleaned off crossbar and sailed over the top of the goal. Macauley King secured the title when his penalty kick bounced off the bottom of the crossbar and into the net.

YHC's Alex Jacq was named the tournament's most valuable player, while Kjellsby, Fischer and Coiffic were all-tournament selections.