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Piedmont University Athletics

Home Of The Piedmont University Lions
MSOC Opening Night
3
Winner Berry BCM (1-0)
0
Piedmont PUM (0-1)
Winner
Berry BCM
(1-0)
3
Final
0
Piedmont PUM
(0-1)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Berry BCM 1 2 3
Piedmont PUM 0 0 0

Game Recap: Men's Soccer | | Troy Weiman: Assistant Director of Athletic Communications

Men’s Soccer Opens Season with 3-0 Loss to Berry

NEED TO KNOW:
Score: Berry 3, Piedmont 0
Records: Berry, 1-0; Piedmont, 0-1
 
DEMOREST, Ga. – Piedmont University's men's soccer team got its 2021 fall season started on Wednesday night as the Lions took the home field against the Berry Vikings. The Vikings had won five straight meetings with Piedmont and extended their streak to six games with a 3-0 victory.
 
The young Lions team couldn't seem to get organized as well as its opening night opponent and ran out of steam in the second half, leading to the team's first scoreless outing at home since a 2-0 loss to Berry on September 4, 2019.
 
Neither team managed many shots in the first half with Berry holding a 9-4 advantage, but each scoring chance seemed to lead to a near miss. Piedmont's first shot of the game was a prime example as sophomore MATTHEW LOFTIN hit the cross bar with a shot in the 11th minute.
 
Piedmont's freshman keeper CJ WYBORN made a pair of diving saves in the first half but couldn't get a hand on a shot from Berry's Zach Ernst in the 25th minute. Ernst riffled a one-timer to the left post after a loose ball found its way to the top of the box.
 
Ernst's goal was a masterful one and gave Berry a 1-0 lead that it held into halftime.
 
Out of half, the Lions again had trouble getting on the same page and struggled to break through the Berry defensive front. Berry created chances and finally capitalized in the 70th minute when Nathan Carlson split a pair of defenders and scored from close range.
 
Carlson got loose again shortly thereafter and chipped one over Wyborn for his second goal in three minutes of play, putting Berry up 3-0. The Vikings held their lead from there and finished off a shutout victory to open the season.

Piedmont created a solid scoring chance in the 53rd minute as MALA JALLOW and MATTHEW FRANKLIN each had shots blocked within a few seconds of one another. Franklin twice had scoring chances foiled, including once in the first half as Berry's Jose Palacios saved the initial shot, then recovered to cover up the ricochet that had bounced back toward the left post. 

The Lions have now lost each of their last two season-openers, something the program hadn't done since losing its openers is each 2013 and 2014.
 
Inside the Box Score:
- Berry totaled 17 shots with nine of them being on goal compared to just eight total shots from the Lions.
- In a testy game from start to finish, five yellow cards were handed out, four of which going to Piedmont players.  
 
Up Next:
- Piedmont travels to Danville, Virginia this weekend for pair of games, starting with a neutral site contests with Ferrum College on Saturday, September 4, at 2:00 p.m. The Lions then faceoff with the host team, Averett University, at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 5.
 
HOW TO FOLLOW:
- To stay up to date on all information regarding Piedmont University 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, and Facebook. To follow each Piedmont athletic program on social media, use the Social Media Directory at PiedmontLions.com or click here.
 
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