NEED TO KNOW:
Score: Piedmont 1, Covenant 1 (PKs 5-4 Scots) 
Records: Piedmont, 8-8-2; Covenant, 8-6-4

LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, Ga - The Lions' 2025 season came to a close Saturday evening at the hands of the Covenant Scots.

Piedmont battled Covenant to the brink in the contest but the No. 1 seeded Scots prevailed as they advance to the CCS Finals.

The Lions had been riding hot after winning two in a row, defeating Belhaven and LaGrange before their trip to Covenant. The two games featured the Lions' best played soccer of the season as they boasted a strong frontline attack paired with a balanced and explosive defense. 

In the first half the Lion's defense held firm against the Scots as they only allowed four shots allowing keeper Bobby Wood to collect two saves. 

The Scots defense on the other end did not back down either. Covenant's midfield and backline held the Lions' hot attack to just five shots in the first half and gave keeper Eli Honeycutt a low stress half as the he wasn't charged with a save. 

The second half was much the same for both sides. Piedmont's defense did not waver against Covenant's attack as they stifled the Scots until the 79th minute. 

The Lions' defense pushed Covenant's Daniel Wallis onto the back of the pitch to the left of the goal, forcing him to make a shot from an uncomfortable position. Willis was able to turn and get enough power on his shot for it to scream past Bobby Wood and become the game's first score. 

Now on the back foot, Piedmont looked to rally against the clock. The Scots defense began to crack in the 84th minute as the Lions sent off a flurry of shots across the final minutes, but all with no yield. With the final seconds burning away, Davis Knight marched into the Scots' box, and the junior fired a shot to the left of the keeper, forcing a dramatic overtime. 

The two squads had pushed each other the entire contest, but it would take one more strong push to become championship bound. 

Defense yet again shined for both sides, as at the end of two overtimes the score remained 1-1, meaning the match would be decided in a shootout.

The Lions sent Nico Serna, Colin Vogel, Davis Knight, Juliann Pimentel, Delroy Mattis, and Josh Duquette as their shot takers. 

Piedmont and Covenant traded shots back and forth in the first three rounds, finishing tied once again 3-3 going into the fourth set of PKs. Pimentel took the fourth for the Lions, but it sailed over the goal, giving the Scots the advantage going forward. 

After Delroy Mattis stepped to the line, and fired his shot past Honeycutt, Covenant's Fox Landgren then had the chance to win it for the Scots.  Landgren fired his shot to the right, but Bobby Wood remained ready, and the senior dove and deflected the shot, keeping the score 4-4.

It would be the freshman Josh Duquette for the Lions taking the sixth shot. Duquette lined up and tried for the bottom right corner, but Honeycutt made the diving save, keeping the Lions off the board. The Lions now needed a save to stay alive. 

Henry Parker stood in front of the goal for the Scots. Wood stood tall in the net, ready to defend and keep Piedmont's season alive. Parker looked left and shot towards the upper corner. Wood dove towards the ball, but the angle was just too high as it escaped past his fingers and into the net as the Scots punched their ticket to the CCS Finals.

Piedmont caught fire in the final game of their season and carried it into the playoffs, and despite a strong battle from the team, they could not overcome the top team in the conference. 

TURNING POINT:
- Henry Parker's final goal sending the Scots to the championship 

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 X @PiedmontLions, Instagram: @PiedmontLions, and Facebook.