Men's Soccer | 9/1/2016 2:20:00 PM

DATE: Sep. 1, 2016

Stats at a Glance (2015) PC BJU Record 4-10-3   10-7 Conference 2-7-1 3-2 Avg. Goals/Gm .94 2.82 Avg. Goals Allowed/Gm 1.7 1.88 Avg. Shots/Gm. 10.4 16.6 Shots on Goal % .418 .512

TIME: 7:00 pm ET
LOCATION: Demorest, GA
FACILITY: Walker Athletic Complex
LAST MEETING: L 0-1 in 2014 (Demorest, Georgia)
TWITTER: @PiedmontLions
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Demorest, GA - When fans arrive at Walker Athletic Complex to watch the 2016 Lions' team in action, there will be many new faces for the Piedmont men's soccer team as the Lions have a total of twelve freshmen joining the team this season. With so many newcomers, chemistry is always a concern, but Head Coach Jimmy Stephens believes his team has the right mix for success in 2016.

"They're fitting in pretty well. They seem to be getting along with the guys that are returning as well which is nice, because you always worry about that when you bring in that big of a class," Stephens said. "It's one of those seasons where I've been pretty happy where there were some kids I knew were going to be good, but I think they're going to be better than I originally thought."

The Lions open the season at home for the second year in a row after being on the road for the first two weeks of the season in 2013 and 2014. In 2015, the season opener came at home against cross-town rival Toccoa Falls who was defeated 3-0 thanks to a pair of goals by CHASE KANE and one by CULLEN COPLAND. 

"I think the atmosphere is going to be great. I think they're a little nervous," Stephens said. "Once they get the little giggles out that most of them have, it's going to be a great atmosphere for them. Playing at home with a young team to me seems a little bit better because they can get used to it and kind of adapt to it and then go on the road rather than right away." 

Kane was a threat throughout the season as he led the team in scoring in 2015 after being the second leading scorer in 2014 behind Vincent Thomas during his debut season with the Lions. The junior from Watkinsville, Georgia has 13 goals in his career and while he is a veteran piece of the attack returning for the 2016 season, there are also new weapons ready to fire away. 

"In 2014 we lost Slim (Vincent Thomas) and [Ryan] Herbert and those were two of our leading scorers and then Chase [Kane] was kind of on his own," Stephens said. "The problem I felt like we had last year with Chase was once teams figured out he was the guy, that was all we really had. This year, a comment he made after our first exhibition was it's nice to have guys around him that can take some of the pressure off of him."

STORYLINES
--Twelve freshmen join the Lions for the 2016 season
--This match marks the first for Piedmont Assistant Coach Daniel Mohsen
--Piedmont returns key offensive threat CHASE KANE while adding additional weapons on the attack

MATCH FACTS
Piedmont takes on the Bruins of Bob Jones University September 1st at 7 p.m. at the Walker Athletic Complex. The Lions brought in a plethora of new talent in freshmen, transfers, as well as new assistant coach Daniel Mohsen.

SCOUTING BOB JONES
The Bruins have posted a pair of shutouts during preseason play already this season beating Trinity Baptist College 3-0 and North Greenville University 1-0. Bob Jones lost several players from the 2015 roster to graduation but several returners have stepped up to lead. John Wilson has had an impressive start for the team scoring three goals and recording one assist in two preseason games. The Bruins also welcomed one of their largest freshman recruiting classes which will bring strength to both sides of the ball.

SERIES RECORDS
The Lions have split the only two meetings between the two squads while the tie breaker scheduled for last fall was cancelled. In 2012, the Lions picked up a victory over the Bruins 4-1 while Bob Jones came out on the winning side in the last match winning 1-0 in 2014. Both meetings were in Demorest with the third meeting coming at Walker Athletic Complex as well. 

KANE HE KEEP IT UP?
CHASE KANE led the Lions last season with a total of six goals in 2015, but this season, Kane will not be the only weapon on the attack for Piedmont. Key additions to the squad will allow the junior more freedom and creativity in the attack creating more opportunities for the Lions to find the back of the net. 

LAST TIME OUT: V. GREENSBORO (Oct. 24)
The Lions fell in the final contest of the 2015 season to the Pride of Greensboro College 4-1. The Pride scored an early goal which set the Lions on an uphill climb throughout the match. The lone goal for the Lions came from a set piece with a little brotherly magic. In the final minute of regulation, a free kick sent into play from MATTHEW METZGER was put just in reach of his brother NATHAN METZGER to head one in for the Lions to avoid a shut out. 

NEXT UP FOR PIEDMONT
Piedmont's next contest will be on the road against non-conference opponent Guilford College on September 4th at 2 p.m. Fans can follow along by tuning in to the video broadcast or live stats provided by the Quakers. 

HOW TO FOLLOW THE LIONS
To stay up to date on all information regarding Piedmont College Athletics, be sure to visit PiedmontLions.com and connect with the Green and Gold on social media. Follow the Lions on Twitter: @PiedmontLions, Instagram: @PiedmontLions, Snapchat: @PiedmontLions and Facebook. To follow each Piedmont athletic program on social media, use the Social Media Directory at PiedmontLions.com or click here.