Box Score

LaGrange, GA -- The Piedmont College women's soccer team overcame an early first half deficit in what turned out to be a wild seminfinal in the Great South Athletic Conference championship tournament to beat third seeded Salem College 4-3 in regulation earlier today.  After the tourney's top seed in Maryville College fell in penalty kicks to start the day, the Lady Lions played their own thriller rallying past the Spirts to advance to the GSAC championship game for the third straight season.

Salem looked the part in the early going surprising Piedmont with a pair of quick scores before nine minutes had passed in the semifinal matchup with both of the Spirits' goals coming care of All-Conference performer Anna Trakas.  Within just a minute of Salem's second goal, Piedmont looked to not let the match run away as the Lady Lions' own All-GSAC honoree Laura Goodwin headed home a Justine Clay free kick to make the score 2-1 at the 9:05 mark.

The scoreboard had time to settle down a bit after that nine minute flurry though the Spirts would be the next to light it up at the 31:27 mark when MacKenzie Schmidt scored to make it 3-1 Salem.  Down two goals for just the third time all season, the Lady Lions had also allowed the most goals they had given up in an entire game and still close to 70 minutes remained in the contest.

As the halftime break drew near, it was pair of rookies who came up big for PC as Nikki Means headed home a Shayna Rogers corner to bring the Lady Lions within a score at 3-2 at the 39:11 mark.  Just 42 seconds later, another freshman would come through for fourth year Head Coach Stephen Andrew as youngster Taylor Hockley slotted a pass from sophomore Meghan Heim to the back corner of the Salem net to tie it all up at three a piece before halftime. 

Intermission was a welcomed break from the frenzied crowd at Panther Field as the two teams had combined for six goals in the first 45 minutes though Piedmont held the edge in total shots with nine to Salem's six.  After the break, it was all Lady Lions as the green and gold outshot their foe seven to three as the newcomer Hockley scored once again punishing a Rogers layoff past Salem keeper Taylor Barcom to hand PC its first lead of the day at 4-3 in the 58th minute.

From that point forward, the defense and sophomore keeper Marjorie Hammond would tighten up allowing Salem just a single shot over the final 30 minutes.  Also tabbing the game-tying goal on the afternoon, Hockley's breakout performance would also include the eventual gamewinner as Piedmont came away with a one goal 4-3 victory to survive and advance in the GSAC championship tournament.

Now 16-2-1, the Lady Lions move on to the championship game tomorrow, November 5th at 1:00 pm where tournament host and fourth seeded LaGrange College awaits PC.  The two clubs have already matched up before at Panther Field this season with Piedmont needing an outstanding free kick strike from Haley Grimes to slip past LaGrange 1-0 on September 27.  The winner of tomorrow's contest will be the 2011 GSAC Tournament Champion and earn the conference's automatic berth in the NCAA National Tournament.