DANVILLE, Va. – The Averett University women's soccer team came up short in a 2-0 conference loss to Piedmont College on Saturday afternoon.

Piedmont (9-0-0, 4-0-0 USA South) scored midway through the first half on a penalty kick from Morgan Edelman on the right side to put the Lions ahead 1-0 going into the break.

Averett (0-6-1, 0-3-0 USA South) struggled to find its offensive momentum but still hung tight with Piedmont, who is ranked first in the conference standings. The Cougars' backline kept the Lions from getting easy looks inside the box. The Lions booted 20 shots with only seven on target, and one of those seven made it into the goal in the second period. Jazmin Penado netted the ball from a set kick from 20 yards out in the 66th minute to extend the lead to 2-0.    

The Cougars play one more home match before heading south for a five-game road trip. Averett will host conference opponent Mary Baldwin College at 4 p.m. on Sept. 30 at Daly Field.