NEED TO KNOW:
Score: Piedmont 22, Southern Virginia 8
Records: Piedmont, 8-1 (1-0 USA South); Southern Virginia, 1-7 (0-1 USA South)

DEMOREST, Ga. - Piedmont men's lacrosse stepped into USA South conference play and delivered a momentous 22-8 victory over Southern Virginia on Saturday afternoon in Demorest.

The Lions dominated from the beginning, leading wire-to-wire and leaving no doubt in the opening quarter on the way to the win. The win marked the first in four tries for the Lions against the Knights.

Isaac Harrington continued his strong play, tying his career high with five goals, which he set last time out against Spalding. He was joined by Brady McGuire, who matched him with five goals and also added a pair of assists. McGuire's seven points on Saturday gives him 199 for his career, one shy of joining the 200-point club, which would also give him the Piedmont all-time program record.

Overall, nine different Lions scored in the contest, including goalie Johnny Matrona, who added the first of his career in addition to making 13 saves in the win.



 

Goalie ?? Goal scorer

Johnny Matrona posts 13 saves and tacks on his first career goal in the 22-8 conference opening victory! pic.twitter.com/ZcKmgN06Fw

— Piedmont Lacrosse (@PiedmontLax) March 16, 2024

The Lions stormed out of the gate quickly, racking up four goals in the first six minutes to stun the Knights. Piedmont led 8-0 after the opening quarter and continued the onslaught, leading 13-2 at the halftime break.

Out of halftime, the Lions slammed the door shut on any thoughts Southern Virginia had of a comeback, scoring six goals in a row to begin the third quarter to push the lead to 19-3.

While the Knights tacked on a few goals in the late stages, they were never a threat, as Piedmont ran out the clock and iced away the conference-opening victory.

Up next, the Lions are set for another big USA South showdown, as they travel to take on Pfeiffer next Saturday, March 23 at 1 p.m.

TURNING POINT:
- The Lions blitzed the Knights in the first quarter, scoring eight goals in the opening 15 minutes to leave no doubt.

STANDOUT PERFORMANCES:
- McGuire added another five goal, two assist performance and now has 199 career points.
- Harrington scored five again, marking 14 goals in the past three home games for the sophomore.
- Matrona added another double-digit save performance and scored his first career goal.

NEWS AND NOTES:
- The Lions exacted revenge on the Knights, as the previous meeting between the teams saw SVU prevail in overtime in last season's USA South Tournament Semifinals.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:
- The Knights held a 48-37 overall shot advantage but Piedmont led 33-23 in shots on goal.

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.