NEED TO KNOW:
Score: Piedmont 6, MUW 1
Records: Piedmont, 1-1; MUW 1-3

DEMOREST, Ga. - The Piedmont University men's soccer team left no doubt earlier today at Walker Athletic Complex defeating visiting Mississippi University for Women, MUW, by a dominant 6-1 scoreline. 

Colin Vogel got the scoring started burying his PK attempt like a pro to give Piedmont a 1-0 lead just over five minutes into the contest.  Less than five minutes later, Davis Knight tapped away a slotted cross from Juliann Pimentel inside the goal box to double the margin at 2-0.

In the 20th minute, Knight would tally the second of his three goals on the day after MUW's goal kick effort was headed back by two different Lions to a wide open Knight running free behind the Owls' back line.  

Piedmont found the majority of its attacking success behind the back line of MUW with multiple 1-on-1 chances created with the goalkeeper in the first half.  

Knight completed a hat-trick performance with his two-touch finish off a cut-back pass from Pimentel, the second time these two linked up on the day for the Green and Gold.   

MUW looked mostly non-threatening in the first half despite hitting the post with a shot with a little under 20 to play in the period.  Right after that effort, Piedmont followed up with a dangerous free kick that should have led to goal number five but was just out of reach for Nathan Jacome to get solid contact to it.  

In the second half, it was more of the same as Pimentel found the back of the net this time with a cultured left-footed finish that beat the MUW keeper for a 5-0 lead. Mason Keith then made it a half dozen circles in the rectangle with his finish just 21 seconds after Pimentel scored.  

The only damper on the afternoon came when Piedmont surrendered a penalty that MUW's Kyle Morris converted to make it a 6-1 game, the score that end up the final as the Lions secured the home victory.  

Head Coach Jimmy Stephens continues to show his prowess for developing some of the region's and nation's top goal scorers with Knight's performance on the afternoon. 

Since 2012, Knight is the fourth different Lion under Stephens' tutelage to post double-digit goal totals in a season having scored 11 in each of his first two seasons, a total that is well within sight for Knight who has four goals now through two games for Piedmont. 

TURNING POINT:
- With an attack that stayed consistent throughout the match, Piedmont posted two goals in just over 10 minutes of action to all but put away the Owls early on as Vogel's PK and Knight's first of three goals helped Jimmy Stephens' team collect its first win of the season just two games into the year.  

STANDOUT PERFORMANCES:
- Davis Knight continues to cement an early case for player of the year honors in the league with a hat-trick in just 24 minutes of action, the second such performance of his career and the first since doing so on September 4th of last season against Warren Wilson when the LaGrange native scored four times. 
- The Piedmont attack as a whole which produced a half dozen goals on more than 30 shots in the contest.  

UP NEXT:
- After Saturday's halted game with Warren Wilson and the Sunday thrashing of MUW, the Lions will now travel on Tuesday to Misenheimer taking on North Carolina-based foe Pfeiffer University.  Kickoff is set for 3 pm and the game can be tracked via live stats and viewed on Pfeiffer's HUDL TV, with links found on the Falcons' athletics website.  

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.