NEED TO KNOW:
Score: Piedmont 4, Brevard 0
Records: Piedmont, 5-6 (1-1 USAS); Brevard, 5-2-3 (0-1-2 USAS)
 
DEMOREST, Ga. – Fifth-year senior CAMERON EARLS put on perhaps the most stellar performance of his storied Piedmont men's soccer career on Tuesday night, scoring all four goals in a 4-0 shutout of conference foe Brevard.
 
With his career-high four-goal performance, the Tifton, Georgia native became just the fourth men's player in Piedmont University's NCAA Division III era to reach the 50-goal threshold. His 53 career goals now rank him alone in third place in the Piedmont men's soccer record book in the Division III era.
 
The senior has 15 of the team's 18 goals on the season and is averaging a hat trick during the team's current three-game winning streak.
 
In a hard-fought and physical game that was, at times, played during heavy rain, Earls and the Lions captured the momentum early on as they jumped out to a 1-0 lead just one minute and 51 seconds into the contest.
 
From Piedmont's half of midfield, sophomore defender BRADLEY GEIGER sent a long pass toward the top of the box to give Earls a chance to win a jump ball. Earls did just that, beating two Brevard defenders to the ball before beating Brevard keeper Jack Pruehs to the far post for the first score of the game and the 50^th of his career.
 
Piedmont would strike again in the eighth minute when sophomore OWEN GATES prevented a clear and played one back to junior defender BRYSON TEAL. Teal didn't hesitate and sent a perfect ball toward the front of the net, setting Earls up for a signature diving header and giving the Lions a 2-0 lead.
 
Teal would set up the hat trick goal in the 52^nd minute when he cleared a ball out of the Piedmont defensive zone with a scorching pass down the left sideline. Earls ran it down, turned, and beat his defender back to the middle before firing a shot just inside the near post, giving him his sixth career hat trick and his third in this 2021 fall season.
 
After all that, Earls had one more left in him.
 
The fourth goal came just two minutes later as a pass from senior LULE TEKILEMARIAM gave Earls a shot, but it was blocked in front of the net. The rebound bounced to Earls again at close range as his second attempt beat the keeper, who had lost track of the ball after the ricochet, between his legs for an easy fourth goal, adding another notch to the impressive night for Earls and the entire Piedmont squad.
 
The 4-0 win did not come about easy as the Lions stayed stout on defense. Brevard earned nine corner kicks and managed 22 shots in the contest, but smothering defense led to just seven of those shots being on goal.
 
Freshman keeper CJ WYBORN played perhaps the best game of his young career and recorded six saves to earn his third shutout of the season. The other Piedmont save came courtesy of the defense as sophomore MIHAI STATE sent a shot away after a scramble led to a promising scoring chance for the Tornados.
 
Lost in the excitement is the fact that the Lions earned their first conference victory of the season, moving them to an even 1-1 in USAS West play. Brevard, the preseason favorite in the division, falls to 0-1-2 in conference play with the loss.
 
Inside the Box Score:
- Despite the physical play and a total of 28 fouls, only four yellow cards were issued in the game with two going to each side.
- Piedmont was outshot 22-13 but won the total saves battle 7-2.  
 
Up Next:
- The Lions go for four-in-a-row on Saturday, October 9, when they host Huntingdon for a USAS West conference showdown at 4:00 p.m.
 
HOW TO FOLLOW:
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