Richard Moodie Press Conference
YOUNG HARRIS, Ga. – The sixth-seeded Limestone Saints (16-4) scored two first half goals to upset the third-seeded Carson-Newman men's soccer team (15-3-2) 3-1 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at the Young Harris Soccer and Lacrosse Complex in Young Harris, Ga.
The Saints avenged a loss in the 2013 Tournament when the Eagles knocked off Limestone, who was the top-seed in the Southeast region.
"I thought the first half we played pretty well, made a few errors and conceded a few goals. In the second half, we came and scored in the first 10 minutes and I thought we pushing at the door for the second, but just couldn't get it. Unfortunately, that's the difference sometimes between winning and losing," coach Richard Moodie said. "The third goal was just a result of us pushing for the equalizer. I think we went out swinging and that's what we told them at halftime."
Limestone opened the scoring in the 27th-minute. Freshman forward Nathan Lelievre took a pass from Jorge Salvat to the right post that Lelievre slotted past Carson-Newman goalkeeper Kavi Luchowa (London, England) for his fourth goal of the year. The assist was Salvat's 12th in 2015 as the Saints led 1-0.
In the final minute of play in the first half, Limestone extended its lead to 2-0. Freshman midfielder Sebastian Gregerson slipped through two Carson-Newman defenders and knocked his shot in the left corner for the 2-0 lead at the halftime break.
Freshman Bruno Andrade (Sao Paulo, Brazil) tallied the Eagles' lone goal of the contest in the 52nd-minute. Senior Nick Skoda (Knoxville, Tenn.) made a run down the right side and laid a through ball to Andrade at the far post who knocked home the pass to cut the Limestone lead to 2-1. The goal was the freshman's third of the year and Skoda added his second assist on the season.
The Saints put the nail in the coffin in the 89th-minute with a goal from Salvat. The forward took a ball down the left side, dribbled past a defender in the box and scored from 10 yards out to put Limestone ahead 3-1.
Carson-Newman outshot Limestone 15-12 with 11 of the Eagles' shots coming in the second half. Senior Jules Gabbiadini (York, England) led C-N with three shots while junior Tom Read (London, England) put both of his shots on frame. Salvat led Limestone with four shots.
C-N attempted six corner kicks compared to three tried by the Saints. Luchowa recorded three saves and allowed three goals in 90 minutes of play. He finished his career with 10 shutouts, which is tied for the third-most in school history. Limestone's Tom Godfrey allowed just one goal and made six saves on the night.
Senior defender Sindre Welo (Trondheim, Norway) was one of the 10 seniors to finish their collegiate career. Welo ends his career as the most-capped with 77 appearances in the Orange and Blue; his 28 career goals is the sixth-most in school history.
"The season was fantastic. It was an emotional moment for me too. We had 10 seniors and players who have been with me since I got here," Moodie said. "We seen highs and lows; by no means do I see this as a low point for them in their career. We leave the tournament a little bit early. We've had a great year. I'm proud of the kids, proud of what they've accomplished. I'm proud of the coaching staff and all their efforts."
For the latest on Carson-Newman men's soccer, stay tuned to cneagles.com and follow the Eagles on Twitter at @cnmenssoccer and @cnathletics.
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