Demorest, GA – The Piedmont College men’s soccer team suffered a 4-0 defeat at the hands of visiting USA South member Covenant College earlier tonight at Walker Athletic Complex to wrap up the regular season. Covenant led only 1-0 at the half with Piedmont earning several opportunities to level the score, but a trio of scores by the Scots in the final 45 minutes was too much for Head Coach Jimmy Stephens and his squad to overcome in the USA South matchup.
A quartet of seniors were honored just prior to kickoff for the Lions as Robert Williams, Vincent Thomas, James Thomas, and Codi Schutz all received recognition for their contribution to the men’s soccer program over the last four years. Despite ending their time at Walker Athletic Complex with a loss, the four will have a chance to hand Piedmont its first postseason win in four seasons as the Lions do qualify for the USA South championship tournament with quarterfinals set to begin this Saturday.
Covenant took the lead in 22nd minute on a half volley by Builder Brock as the Scots outshot PC 13 to four in the opening half. Piedmont’s Kenneth Hearn however earned six saves to keep the Lions in the game through the intermission as the junior goalkeeper would go on to earn ten overall despite picking up the loss between the posts for PC.
Hearn’s first half also included a save on a penalty kick as well as another on the follow up shot to hold Covenant to a 1-0 lead at half. However, in the second half, Covenant would score in the 49th and 56th minutes to end the home fans’ feeling of a possible comeback and go up 3-0 over the Lions with still 35 minutes to play.
Depsite the run of play belonging to Covenant for most of the night, senior Vincent Thomas would of course have something to say about the Lions being shut out so far on the evening when he finally broke through the Covenant back line and scored his season-high 9th goal of 2014, tying his single season career high set in his junior season. Thomas has already surpassed his previous high of points in a season and sits now at 24 total putting him in a 3-way tie for the conference lead in that category with Methodist’s Eric Nordseth and Covenant’s Snoopy Davidson.
Davidson scored the Scots second goal of the evening and what would be the eventual gamewinner as Covenant answered Piedmont’s score by Thomas when Noah Wiersema put in a goal in the 73rd after the Lions scored in the 72nd. Wiersema’s score would set the final scoreline at 4-1 as the Lions wrapped up play at Walker Athletic Complex in 2014.
With the loss, Piedmont drops to 7-11 having now lost three straight and seven of their last eight contests overall. Despite falling to 4-6 in conference play this season, the Lions did manage to post their most conference victories since joining the USA South three seasons ago and will not finish in anything less than 7th place in the league standings, also their best such finish in the three-season span.
Piedmont’s road in the upcoming USA South championships is not as clear however as a few circumstances must play out before the Lions can learn of their quarterfinal opponent and destination. The two possible destinations include a spot Piedmont has already visited before in Rocky Mount, North Carolina to play NC Wesleyan or a possible rematch against the same foe who defeated them earlier tonight, Covenant College, though this time around the Lions would have to travel up Lookout Mountain to face the Scots.
In any case, Piedmont will be hitting the road for their quarterfinal contest for the third straight season but have now posted their highest finish in the league standings since joining the USA South in 2012 as the Lions spent the first two seasons as the #8 seed in the championship field.
