JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Aiming to get back on track, Carson-Newman (4-4-3, 2-3-2) welcomes Catawba (7-3-1, 4-2-1) to McCown Field tomorrow evening for a 5:00 p.m. start.
Interestingly enough, Carson-Newman has not had the same consecutive result this season. Every win has been followed by a tie or loss. Every tie has followed with a win or loss and every loss has been followed by a win or tie. So, based off this unique trend, the Eagles are due for a good result.
The Eagles offense is trying to return to early form. C-N has scored just three goals in its past five matches, two of which came in draw with Mars Hill. Coming off losses this season, Carson-Newman is 2-0-1.
Carson-Newman will look to defeat Catawba for a sixth straight time. During this five-game stretch, C-N has outscored the Indians by seven goals. Last season's meeting was interesting to say the least. The clubs combined for 28 fouls and five yellow cards. With Catawba up 1-0 in the 64th minute, Nic Carsh (Newberg, Ore.) was shown a red card, sending him off the pitch. Playing down a man, C-N battled to score twice in the final 19 minutes to comeback and defeat the Indians.
When C-N has success offensively, its been tough for them to lose. When outshooting opponents, C-N is unbeaten in league play and is 42-12-9 under Stephen Lyons. The record is even better when C-N scores first, unbeaten this season and 46-3-7 with Lyons leading the team.
Another telling tale statistic for the Eagles has been the score at halftime. When their up at half, they are 36-1-3 under Lyons and unbeaten this season. When trailing at half, they are 0-3.
Catawba is having an excellent season, sporting a 7-3-1 overall record and a 4-2-1 record in league games. The Indians were ranked #22 last week, before dropping a pair of matches to Lincoln Memorial and Limestone. Despite those results, they are still receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches Poll. Prior to the two-game losing streak, Catawba had won six in a row, four of which were SAC matches. In all three losses this season, the Indians have been shutout.
A key piece to their success has been forward Juan Pablo Nicoletti. He has a league-high six assists, a mark that is 13th best in the country. Joseph Allerton and Salano Birch each have a team-high three goals, with seven others contributing in the scoring column as well.
Defensively, All-SAC goalkeeper Zak Stiffler is having a fine season in goal. He has 41 saves with a .745 save percentage, while allowing 14 goals. His five clean sheets are third most in the SAC and tied for 12th most in the country.
Kick off is slated for 5:00 p.m. from McCown Field. The game can be streamed on FloSports with a subscription. Fans can also follow along to @CN_Eagles on Twitter and Instagram for in-game updates.