Box Score Mount Berry, GA - The Piedmont College women's soccer team posted a late rally but could not overcome an early deficit earlier this afternoon falling to Berry College in their season opener 2-1. The Vikings put two up on the board in the first seven minutes of action which proved to be too much for a Lady Lion attack that didn't get going until the second half.
Berry's first goal came in the third minute when a flurry at the top of the 18 turned loose for Tessa Piety of Berry to slot in the far corner for the 1-0 lead. The second score for the home team occurred in the 7th minute when several Vikings got free on a corner and barreled the service past the Piedmont defense.
Down by two heading into half, Piedmont had not seen much of the ball tallying just a pair of chances to seven for Berry. After the intermission, the girls from Demorest seemed to find their legs holding a 5-3 advantage in shots in the second half.
One of those five chances was a goal for junior
Taylor Hockley who beat the oncoming Berry keeper with a shot just inside the penalty area, bringing the Lady Lions to within one with just under 10 minutes remaining. Despite hitting the crossbar and having two opportunities on corners late in the game including one with just seconds remaining that the Berry keeper had to hold, Piedmont could not find the equalizer late falling in the match by a 2-1 score.
The loss drops Piedmont to 0-1, the first time that the Lady Lions have been under .500 in their overall record since a 3-4 start in 2008, Head Coach
Stephen Andrew's first season at the helm. The loss is also the first in a season opener under Andrew in his now 6th season as the leader of the Lady Lions snapping a five-game winning streak in that spot on the schedule.
The Lady Lions return to action tomorrow at 3:00 pm as they face Guilford College in their second game at the Winshape Invitational hosted by Berry. The Quakers also fell in their first game at the tourney dropping a 1-0 decision to Covenant College earlier today.
