JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. — Carson-Newman College women's soccer coach Carol Bonnes was exhausted Wednesday night after the Lady Eagles 3-2 win over South Atlantic Conference rival Tusculum. It didn't matter that Carson-Newman was battling for at least a share of the conference title and the Pioneers should be playing out their schedule in hopes of making a run in the SAC Tournament.
Instead, it was a 90 minute dog fight that saw the teams combine for 40 shots with 23 on goal.
"It's aging me rightly coming into the SAC," Bonnes said. "It's great competition."
For the first-year coach, the SAC run has also been a blessing. The Lady Eagles suffered some key injuries in the early season and stumbled out to a 2-4 record before their first SAC game against Anderson (S.C.) University on Sept. 25.
"It's been a long season," Bonnes said. "We had some injuries early on. The more adversity these girls faced, the stronger they were when they stepped up."
That first conference game was a sign of what's to come. The Lady Eagles beat Anderson 4-2. After a 2-1 conference loss to Lenoir-Rhyne, their only SAC loss of the season, Carson-Newman has won seven straight.
"I couldn't be prouder of the girls," senior midfielder Morgan Gruenenfelder (Sweetwater, Tenn.) said. "We've made a huge comeback and we did it with pretty much one sub for the whole season. Everyone has done their part. Everyone has become a real part of this team."
After making an appearance in the Elite Eight last season under since-departed coach Phil McNamara, the Lady Eagles are on a charge for another shot. Bonnes has dealt with a lot in her first season, including injuries, departures and players that joined McNamara at UT-Chattanooga. Still, she's managed to position her team where it needs to be to make another run.
"The hunger for the NCAA tournament has always been there," Bonnes said. "It's part of the tradition here at Carson-Newman. Knowing this team, they're going to push for it. It's coming down to the performance on the day and who wants it more."
Two more hurdles remain for Carson-Newman. The first shows up Saturday when the Newberry Lady Wolves make the trip to McCown Field at 5 p.m. If the Lady Eagles win, they'll be no worse than SAC co-champions.
"I'm excited that the team has put themselves in this position," Bonnes said. "It's our senior day and we're honestly trying to treat it like any other game. It's not going to come easy. Newberry is good opposition. We've got a lot of respect for all the teams in our conference. Especially the way Tusculum was able to play us with a 3-3-1 record."
It will also be senior day, where the team and community will watch players like Gruenenfelder, Melissa Morris (Sweetwater, Tenn.) and Brianna Buckley (Oak Ridge, Tenn.) play on their last regular season game on their home pitch.
For Bonnes, though a win would guarantee at least a No. 2 seed, she remains focused on that top spot, though she'll need some help with a Tusculum victory over Lenoir-Rhyne.
"When No. 1 is within reach, No. 2 is something you don't want to settle for," Bonnes said. "That's what we need to reach for. Coming into the conference tournament, anything can happen. It's a lot tighter than the scoreboard will show."
