LOOKOUT MOUTAIN, Ga. — Sophomore Ville Hautakangas' goal in the final six minutes lifted the Averett men's soccer team to a thrilling, 3-2 victory over Covenant College on Friday in the USA South Conference opener for both squads.
 
Overtime appeared to be on the horizon as the game neared the end of regulation as neither team could find the go-ahead goal. However, Hautakangas took a cross from freshman Oscar Lara and fired in his shot from 6-yards out to give Averett (1-6, 1-0 USA South) the nail-biting victory.
 
Covenant (0-4-1, 0-1 USA South) started the second half with a goal at the 55:10 mark to level the score at 2-2 when Jesse Riggs connected with Josh Brower on a through ball from the left side and Brower hammered home his shot to give the Scots some momentum.
 
From there, though, the Cougars' defense buckled down and didn't allow a goal the rest of the way.
 
Averett displayed its offensive prowess early, picking up a goal barely two minutes into the game to take an early advantage. After Covenant was whistled for a foul, junior Tobias Andreasson drilled in his fourth goal of the year on a set piece from the 20-yard line to make the score 1-0.
 
Refusing to go quietly, the Scots picked up the equalizer in the 30th minute on a goal from Carl Simakoff.
 
The Cougars' offense only took 12 minutes to pull back in front as freshman Daniel Surley took a throw in into the box from Lara, controlled it and buried his attempt from 12-yards out to put Averett ahead 2-1 going into the break.
 
Averett looks to pick up another three points on Saturday when it heads to Demorest, Georgia, to battle Piedmont College at 2 p.m.