Demorest, Ga - In a showdown featuring two of the top teams in the USA South, the Southern Virginia men's lacrosse team suffered their first conference loss of the season at the hands of Piedmont University 8-22.

The Lions were looking to avenge their heart-breaking loss to the Knights in the tournament semifinal last year. They were dominant from the start as the Knights found themselves in an early hole as a deficit of nine goals developed. Clay Haacke did his best to build his team some momentum by powering his way to the middle of the attacking area for the Knights' first two goals of the afternoon.

A beautiful passing sequence involving Clay Haacke and JT Cutrer resulted in a snipe from Porter Wells to get the Knights on the board first in the second half. Despite the quick start, Piedmont would continue to extend their advantage thanks to four players scoring 3 or more goals. The Knights would ultimately fall to the Lions, 8-22.

Southern Virginia heavily outshot the Lions, 48-37, but Piedmont made the most of their opportunities by putting 33 shots on goal compared to the Knights' 23. Fresh off of his season high of 3 goals versus Messiah, Clay Haacke continued to impress by notching 5 goals to lead the Knights' attack and bring his season total to 15 goals. Jayden Arnold, the senior from Johnstown, Colorado, was once again steady in face-offs by going 17-30.

Southern Virginia stays on the road as they travel to Berry College for a non-conference matchup on Tuesday, March 19th, with the game scheduled to start at 7:00 PM

For the most up-to-date details and information on the team, follow @knight_mlax or visit knightathletics.com for live stats and streaming options.