VIDEO: Stephen Lyons Interview
2019 Season Review Notes (PDF)
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – After a plethora of changes and delays throughout most of the past nine months, the Carson-Newman Men's Soccer team released its eight-match spring 2021 schedule on Monday that boasts a pair of non-conference tilts and six South Atlantic Conference matches.
Fall sports teams faced a start-of-season delay that was set until September 26 before the SAC President's Council elected to push all fall intercollegiate athletic competitions to the spring semester in early August. While the season is an abbreviated one, it will still include a conference tournament following the conclusion of a regular season. All of the SAC teams will be divided geographically into three pods composed of four teams each, allowing for one home and one away contest within each pod. The top teams from each pod will advance to the postseason.
"I think once the conference came out and announced the schedule and how the format was going to look, it kind of inspired everybody a little bit more to know that we've got something that we're going to be working towards," Carson-Newman coach Stephen Lyons said. "Until then, it was a little frustrating but was the same for everybody. We're just happy that we've got something to play for in the spring."
With the ever-changing landscape around what seems to be the entire sports world, the current schedule can change at a moment's notice amidst the global pandemic. At present standing, the reigning SAC Regular Season Co-Champions are set to hit the pitch at Belmont Abbey on February 13 for the first of two back-to-back road games. They will head to Lee just a few days later for a Wednesday night test on February 17.
"They're two tough games on the road, and we know that our conference is tough and that there are never any easy games, so it's best to test yourself against the best opposition," Lyons said. "I think it'll be good experience for all the guys, especially some of the freshmen, to get that experience."
Lyons' group falls into a pod with Lincoln Memorial, Tusculum and Mars Hill. Combined, C-N holds a 47-43-14 record against the trio of league sides. A season ago, Lyons' group was 2-0-1 against the squads, the draw coming at Tusculum that helped the Eagles to win a share of the regular season conference title. C-N outscored those opponents by a combined 6-2 margin.
The conference slate starts with Lincoln Memorial making a trip to Mossy Creek on February 25 for a 5 p.m. first kick. The Eagles will be the visitors when the teams meet again on March 18. C-N has won four of its last five meetings with the Railsplitters, currently sitting on a three-match winning streak.
That final meeting with LMU this year is sandwiched between the pair of matches C-N will play against Tusculum. The first tussle will take place on March 11 in Greeneville before turning back to Jefferson City on March 25. Carson-Newman has not seen a win in the rivalry since Oct. 19, 2016, upsetting a No. 7 Pioneers squad in a 2-1 double-overtime thriller on the banks of Mossy Creek. Since then, the Eagles have gone 0-2-2 in the series.
C-N will host Mars Hill on March 4 before putting a bow on the regular season with a road trip on April 1. With a 3-0 win on the road last season, the Orange and Blue moved to 10-straight matches without a loss at Mars Hill, going 8-0-2 in that span. Between the teams it faces in the pod format, Mars Hill is the only one the Eagles have a winning record against in their series history, sitting at 20-10-5 since 1989.
"Any game in our conference isn't going to be easy," Lyons said," and, especially, we know the rivalries between Tusculum and LMU, not being far down the road. They always bring a different edge to them, the games themselves. I'm just excited to be able to have something to work towards, to be able to look forward to the season. Again, good experience for the players to be able to participate and, hopefully, reach the conference tournament."
All Carson-Newman home games feature a live broadcast streamed globally on cneagles.com. For all the latest men's soccer news and updates surrounding the upcoming season, check back to cneagles.com or @CNathletics on Twitter.
