DATE: Nov. 6, 2015

Stats at a Glance PC MC Record 18-1-1 13-3-2 USA South Record 10-1-1 9-1-2 Goals/GM 2.90 3.39 Goals Allowed/GM 0.25 0.65 Shots/GM 15.7 19.8 Shot on Goal % .521 .584 Save % .921 .844 Shutouts 16 9

TIME: 2:30 pm ET
LOCATION: Raleigh, NC
FACILITY: Meredith Athletic Field
LAST MEETING: 0-0, F-2OT (10/14/15@PC)
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STORYLINES
--In two of the last three meetings between these two programs, the teams have played to scoreless draws.
--This is the third time the Scots and the Lady Lions have met in the postseason over the last seven seasons, but first meeting in USA South postseason play.
--Winner moves on to play in the USA South Championship Game on Saturday at 3:00 pm.

MATCH FACTS
Piedmont will play Maryville in a neutral site contest in the semifinal round of the USA South Championship Tournament on Friday, November 6 at 2:30 pm.  The contest will be broadcast live courtesy of Meredith College who is playing host to the USA South Final Four.  Live stats will also be available for fans to follow along.  Admission will be charged for all tournament matches ($3 faculty, staff, students, seniors, children; $6 general adult admission).

THE COACH'S CORNER 
Piedmont Head Women's Soccer Coach Stephen Andrew offers his take leading up to kickoff against the Scots in the USA South semis:  "We're looking forward to getting back on the field against a very good side from Maryville.  We have had a lot of exciting games with them in the past in the postseason and regular season.  We're hoping to continue to keep a good season going with a win on Friday, but we know that Coach Pepe will have his team prepared and ready to play."

SCOUTING MARYVILLE
The Scots come into Friday's contest under the leadership of one of the game's great coaches in Head Coach Pepe Fernandez who recently collected his 300th career victory as a women's coach earlier this season. Now in his 25th season at the helm, the Scots come into Friday's matchup with a 13-3-2 record assuring an 18th straight winning season for the storied program.  MC placed five on the All-Conference team this past week with three 1st team selections and a pair of Honorable Mentions.

SERIES RECORDS
The last three meetings between these two programs have featured a pair of scoreless draws with each team forcing the shutout on the road.  Piedmont has met Maryville in postseason play twice since 2009 with those meetings coming back-to-back in the Great South Athletic Conference championship game.  MC won both of those meetings earning GSAC titles in 2009 and 2010 before Piedmont went on to claim the title in 2011.  All 11 GSAC titles handed out in women's soccer during Piedmont and Maryville's affiliation with the league were won by the two programs.  

SOMETHING IN COMMON
The Scots have matched up against several common non-conference opponents, most notably Birmingham-Southern and Bridgewater whom both Piedmont and Maryville played earlier this season at the Maryville College Fall Invitational.  PC went 2-0 that weekend with a 2-0 win over BSC and a 2-1 win over Bridgewater thanks to a late score while Maryville went 1-1 defeating Bridgewater 1-0 before falling to BSC 4-1 the following day. The two also faced Agnes Scott with Maryville winning 3-1 over the Scotties at home while Piedmont handed ASC a 7-0 loss in the season opener for both teams.

DYNAMIC DUO
Maryville has one of the most potent offensive attacks around the league with Sierra Siegel and Allison Hale both appearing in the top three of total points for the season.  Hall is 2nd in the league in total goals with 16 while Siegel is 2nd in the league in total assists with a dozen.  Both are seniors for the Scots and were 1st team All-Conference selections at the forward spot this past week when the league announced its year-end awards.

FIRST OF A KIND
Continuing a strong debut season, Piedmont's freshman forward CASSIDY REICH accounted for a conference first earlier this week when she was named USA South Player and Rookie of the Year becoming the first women's soccer player to earn both awards in the same season since the league starting awarding both in 1995.  Reich scored 20 goals through last week's quarterfinal and also has 13 assists to her name as well for a season total of 53 points, all USA South bests.

GOALKEEPING RECORDS
For Maryville:  Mandy Marshall, 7-2-1...Rachel Taylor, 5-1-1
For Piedmont: MICHAELA GARDNER, 17-1-1...ASHLYN ATNIP, 1-0

LAST TIME OUT: NC WESLEYAN, USA SOUTH QUARTERFINAL
 In a rematch of last year's dramatic quarterfinal between the two, North Carolina Wesleyan College took the Piedmont College women's soccer team to the limits on Saturday afternoon in the 2015 USA South Championship Tournament before the Lady Lions came alive late to earn a 2-0 win at home.  

Piedmont was in control much of the afternoon and placed pressure on the Battling Bishops defense in the opening minutes of the second half, but NC Wesleyan was able to hang on to its shutout weathering that early storm to keep it scoreless.  With their standout youngster Ella Burkhart on a free kick in the 76th minute, NC Wesleyan look as though it might play the role of spoiler for the home team as a hard shot from about 30 out went high towards the Piedmont net.

However, PC keeper MICHAELA GARDNER was able to get just enough of the effort to touch it high off the crossbar keeping Piedmont's chances alive, and her teammates responded to the game-saving play quickly as veteran MEGAN HATFIELD was able to score just 42 seconds later giving 1-0 lead.  Hatfield absolutely crushed her chance in the waning moments as it was freshman CASSIDY REICH who found her teammate streaking through the Bishops defense.

Moments later, Hatfield would combine with Reich again with the freshman this time getting the goal as she touched a ball over the head of oncoming keeper Vanessa Batchelor after Hatfield had played the ball in.  That goal gave Piedmont a 2-0 and sent the crowd into a frenzy as the Lady Lions used the two-goal shutout win to move on to the USA South Semifinals.

NEXT UP FOR PIEDMONT
Should Piedmont win against Maryville in the semis, the Lady Lions would take on the winner of the #4 seed / #1 seed match-up featuring Methodist University and the top seed in the field, undefeated Meredith College who went 11-0-1 to claim the USA South regular season title outright.  The USA South championship game is set for a 3:00 pm kickoff on Saturday, November 7.