SALISBURY, N.C. – Carson-Newman (2-1, 0-1 SAC) heads to Catawba (2-1, 0-1 SAC) Saturday to play in its second conference match of the season at 3:30 p.m.
The Eagles played no. 10 Wingate last Saturday in their first conference match and suffered a tough loss in double overtime. C-N went up on the Bulldogs inside the first six minutes when Nick Skoda (Knoxville, Tenn.) scored off a pass from Lucas Siqueira (Sao Paulo, Brazil).
With one minute remaining in the game, the Bulldogs scored a goal off a free kick when play resumed after Siqueira went out with an injury sending them into overtime.
With five minutes left in the second overtime, the lights at McCown Field went off. When play resumed, the Bulldogs had the ball for a free kick and capitalized winning the game 2-1. "I thought we were the better team that night," Carson-Newman head coach Richard Moodie said. "Arguably we should have won. But again, that's the game of soccer."
On Monday, the Eagles took Lees McRae into overtime and won 2-1. "It's early," Moodie said. "We answered right back with a win."
Matheus Bachi (Caxias do Sul, Brazil) scored the first goal of the match, his second of the season as a center defender. In the 61st minute, the Bobcats tied it up.
"When we went into overtime, we just had a chance to look at the boys and say, 'Remember that feeling that we had last weekend?'" Moodie said, "You don't want to feel that again." Less than three minutes into overtime, Ross Frame (Welshpool, Powys, United Kingdom) scored the golden goal to win the game for the Eagles. "That feeling was fantastic," said Moodie.
Statistically, Bachi and Frame are leading the Eagles' offense. Each of them has four points to his name; Bachi has two goals and Frame holds one goal and two assists.
Catawba battled Pfeiffer on Wednesday and won 2-1 despite being down by a goal at half. Declan Stimson and Richmond Taylor scored for the Indians. Taylor is the older brother of Carson-Newman junior defender Franklin Taylor (Hendersonville, Tenn.) who is currently recovering from ACL surgery.
Last year, Carson-Newman beat Catawba 1-0. In the 31st minute of the game, Sindre Welo (Trondheim, Norway) finished a cross by Taylor Jolley (Morristown, Tenn.), since graduated. The Eagles outshot the Indians 16 to 12. Welo led the Eagles in shots with four taken and one goal. Jolley also took four shots and had one assist. Corey Faughnan and Brian Woulfe each took four shots for the Indians.
"We're excited, we have a good team," said Moodie. We think it's important not to peak too early."
Weather permitting, live stats will be available at catawbaindians.com.