Box Score | NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Selection Show

LaGrange, GA -- The Piedmont College women's soccer team had yet another exciting 90 minute match in Great South Athletic Conference championship tournament play claiming the league crown care of a 3-2 come-from-behind victory over host LaGrange College. In a hostile environment and trailing 2-1 at halftime, the Lady Lions came out blazing in the second 45 minutes to score two quick goals and hold off any home team rally to earn their first GSAC title since the 2001 season.

"This was a goal we set in our preseason meeting and to reach it by coming down to win two road games in two days just shows how tough our team became this season," said Head Coach Stephen Andrew of his team's championship performance. "It was something we wanted to do as our last season competing in the Great South, we played a great team today in LaGrange who really battled with us throughout the entire afternoon. We'll enjoy this win tonight, tomorrow we'll start getting ready to meet the challenge of the going to the NCAA National Tournament."

In the opening minutes, it looked as though the seeds would hold true in this tournament final as junior forward Macie Rooke put Piedmont on the board first putting a Laura Goodwin corner kick which batted around the box into the back of the net.  Going up 1-0, the Lady Lions would hold back the LaGrange attack for 14 minutes until the Panthers, playing in front of their home crowd, equalized on a Shelby Stanfield score off a LC corner. 

Now even at 1-1, LaGrange's Brittany Gray gave the home team their first lead of the day when she scored off a deflection in the 44th minute just before the halftime break.  Allowing the late first half score to LC, the Lady Lions headed into the halftime break trailing for just the third time all year despite giving up just a pair of shots on goal to the Panthers in the first 45.

After the intermission, the Lady Lions came out determined not to let their chance at a championship slip away creating two quick chances while capitalizing on the second as Rooke struck once again slotting a Dilyn MacLean pass to the back corner of the LaGrange goal.  Rooke's second goal of the afternoon pulled Piedmont level with its conference foe at 2-2 and caused the Lady Lions on the field and on the bench to erupt with a second wind knowing 42 minutes remained to find the gamewinner.

The team did not have to wait long though to gain that advantage as senior Justine Clay blasted a long range free kick at Panther keeper Chelsea Totaro who mishandled the ball allowing it to drop completely over the line and in for the third goal of the day for PC.  Now leading 3-2 after Clay's goal in the 55th minute, Piedmont needed only keep LC out of the back of the net to lay claim to their first conference title in ten years.

The Lady Lions were up to the task holding LaGrange without a shot on goal the rest of the way as the Panthers could not create much offensively that threatened the PC lead.  With the clock striking 0:00 on Panther Field, the team rushed the field circling around the senior Clay whose game-winning free kick proved the difference in the title game as PC won 3-2 in regulation.

"I feel like I've been working for this moment for four years and to finally have it is indescribable," said Clay of her team's achievement on the weekend. "We really came together when we needed to the most, I'm so proud of this team for sticking together no matter what the score was. Two come-from-behind wins on a championship weekend is unreal, it was an experience I won't forget."

For Piedmont, the win is the second come-from-behind effort in the last two days at the conference tournament representing quite a change for a team who trailed for a grand total of 168 minutes of the more than 1,800 minutes played in the 2011 season.  By virtue of winning the conference tournament, the Lady Lions also claim the league's automatic berth into the NCAA National Tournament and will learn of their regional destination this Monday, November 7th in a 1:30 pm Selection Show airing on NCAA.com.

Now 17-2-1 overall, the Lady Lions are just one victory shy of matching the most wins in a season as the 1997 team posted 18 though Piedmont's 17 in 2011 continues as a NCAA era record at PC.  Junior forward Macie Rooke was named the tournament MVP after scoring Piedmont's first two goals today one year after scoring both of PC's goals in the GSAC final four of 2010.