DEMOREST, Ga. — Senior midfielder Nathan Brown's overtime goal lifted Averett University's men's soccer team past Piedmont College 2-1 in conference action on Saturday afternoon.
 
Brown's goal, his second of the game, came in the 95th minute when Cougars' freshman forward Kyle Mosley crossed a ball into the middle of the pitch and Brown buried it into the left corner, giving Averett (5-10-1, 3-5-1 USA South) its second overtime victory of the season.
 
The Cougars offense came out strong in the first half as Brown tested Lions' (7-10, 4-5 USA South) goalkeeper Kenneth Hearn with a shot in the first minute, but Hearn was able to come up with the save.
 
Junior midfielder Jordan Palma fired off a shot in the 11th minute, but Hearn was once again able to come up with the save, keeping the score tied at 0-0. Piedmont's Vincent Thomas had a good look at goal in the 14th minute, but Cougars' senior goalkeeper Martin Erenstedt denied his attempt.
 
Cougars' freshman midfielder Mitchell Smith came close to scoring his first collegiate goal in the 30th minute, but Hearn made the save. The Lions outshot Averett 6-4 in the first half.
 
Piedmont's Ryan Herbert tested Erenstedt with a header in the 45th minute, but Erenstedt came up big for the Cougars, leaving the score tied at 0-0. Herbert headed a shot at Erenstedt again in the 51th minute, but Erenstedt was able to make the save.
 
Brown scored the first goal of the game, his seventh of the season, in the 63rd minute when he snuck his attempt past Hearn, giving the Cougars a 1-0 lead.
 
However, Herbert took a cross into the middle by Vincent Thomas in the 76th minute and buried it past Erenstedt, knotting the score at 1-1 with just less than 15 minutes left in regulation.
 
Brown was almost able to give the Cougars the win in regulation, but his header in the 82nd minute went wide of the mark, sending the game into overtime.
 
Cougars' sophomore midfielder Taylor Jones tested Hearn in the 93rd minute, but Hearn was able to block the attempt.
 
Two minutes later, Mosley found Brown in the middle of the pitch and Brown snuck his shot past Hearn, giving Averett the victory.
 
The Cougars return home on Wednesday for their regular season finale against William Peace University at Daly Field at 5 p.m.