CLEVELAND — Taking on a team that was a winner of four straight, the Piedmont College men's soccer team was able to hold serve and force a scoreless draw on the road with local foe Truett-McConnell College Wednesday night.
The home-standing Bears forced Piedmont keeper Kenneth Hearn to make six saves in the opening 45 minutes, but the Lions turned the tables in the second half with Truett's Cade Minton having to come up with five saves of his own to keep the scoreboard level at 0's.
Both teams had chances in the extra period to win it including Chris Bible's effort in the closing seconds of the first overtime, but Minton was up to the task again making the save. Hearn also made a pair of saves in OT including one as time expired.
Though neither team could find the back of the net, the two combined for a good bit of offense on the night with a third showing of double-digit shots by Piedmont in the first five games of the season. The scoreless draw is the first in 12 seasons for the Piedmont men's soccer program.
Turning Point
--The final six minutes of regulation saw the Lions earn three chances to end it, but Matthew Metzger's show with 5:37 remaining and Chase Kane's last two in the closing four minutes all were saved by Truett keeper Cade Minton keeping the game scoreless and forcing OT.
Standout Performances
--Kane put up four shots, all of which found the frame, though the sophomore was held scoreless on the evening by the Bears.
--Playing all 110 minutes in goal was senior Hearn who picked up nine saves including six in the first half. The shutout was the 11th of his career at Piedmont.
Inside the Box Score
--Each team had two chances in the first overtime period to end the contest and Truett would have another in the second OT, but the attacks cooled in the extra periods after a wild first 90 minutes that saw 22 combined shots between the two.
--Kane's four shots on the night tied a season-high, he leads all Lions with his 12 shots this season producing two goals, both of which came in the season opener against Toccoa Falls.
News & Notes
--Piedmont's scoreless draw is the first such result in the Jimmy Stephens era which began with the 2005 season.
--The Lions' last scoreless draw came in the 2004 season on Halloween night against Greensboro College.
Up Next
The conference opener for 2015 as Piedmont hosts North Carolina Wesleyan College on Saturday afternoon for a 4:30 pm kickoff. The match features the Battling Bishops who have taken Piedmont to overtime in each of the last three seasons. Piedmont is 1-1-1 against NC Wesleyan in those three overtime meetings.
