Need to Know
Score:  Piedmont 1 - Berry 0 (F-OT)
Records:  Lady Lions 5-0, Vikings 3-1-1
Location: Rome, Georgia - Ford Field

Rome, GA - In a highly anticipated South-Atlantic Region matchup with the Vikings of Berry College earlier tonight, the Piedmont College women's soccer team took control after the opening half and ended the game in overtime with a golden goal from CASSIDY REICH.  

The freshman from Largo, Florida needed just a few yards of space and a brilliant touch-on pass from veteran MEGAN HATFIELD to drive a long-range effort over the head of the Vikings' keeper to earn a hard-fought 1-0 win. 

Berry entered the contest making news earlier in the day appearing as the 6th ranked team in the top 10 of the South-Atlantic Region, a poll as released earlier today by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA).  Both Berry and Piedmont were receiving votes in the Top 25 National Poll by D3Soccer.com with the Vikings earning 69 points in the poll and Piedmont close behind with 59.   

Berry controlled the opening 45 minutes of the game with eight shots to Piedmont's three as the Lady Lions weathered the storm of the hosting Vikings.  However, the momentum swung after the break as Berry could not post a single shot from halftime on with Piedmont tallying six of its own including the gamewinner in overtime. 

The win is the first over Berry since 2012 when the Lady Lions won 1-0 at home over the Vikings.  The victory ends a two-game losing streak to Berry for PC and is the first win on the road against the Vikings in the series between the two teams. 

Turning Point
--The first 15 minutes of the second half saw Piedmont put on a display of quality possession and created chances for the front runners which set the table for Reich's gamewinner in overtime. 

Standout Performances
--After tallying two assists in Friday night's 3-0 win over Maine Maritime, CASSIDY REICH went back to her scoring ways tallying the gamewinner in overtime after taking a MEGAN HATFIELD pass and driving a long range effort over the head of Vikings keeper
--MICHAELA GARDNER was brilliant between the pipes for Piedmont as the Lady Lions' keeper made three key saves in the first half including a back-to-bar effort that kept Berry star Maggie Midkiff from earning her sixth goal of Berry's first five games.
--Add another assist for MEGAN HATFIELD to the season stats as the junior touched on a pass to Reich that opened the space for the freshman's game-winning strike. 

Inside the Box Score
--It was a tale of two halves for Piedmont as the Lady Lions were outshot 8-3 in the opening 45 minutes, but did not allow a single shot to the home team the remaining 48 minutes into overtime in a defensive stand that allowed time on the ball for PC in the attack.
--Midkiff and Reich led the way in the contest with four shots each as each proved dangerous in front of goal as Midkiff's strike in the first half needed the touch of Gardner to keep out of the net while Reich's free kick in the second needed another save as well to keep the game scoreless.

News & Notes
--Berry is the second team that Piedmont has defeated this season that won 16 games a year ago as Bridgewater went 16-4 in 2014 before falling to PC 2-1 earlier this year, Berry was 16-3 last season.
--Piedmont's win over Berry tonight is the first on the road over the Vikings in the NCAA Era which began with the 2003 season.  
--The series between the two is now tied at 2-2 over the last four years with the teams combining to go 87-38-8 in that time period.

Up Next
A rematch of last year's USA South quarterfinal against North Carolina Wesleyan College.  The Lady Lions host the Battling Bishops on Friday, September 18 with a 4:00 pm kickoff at Walker Athletic Complex.  

How to Follow
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