VIDEO: Highlights v. Lenoir-Rhyne
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn – The Carson-Newman women's soccer team endured an 110-minute battle with Lenoir-Rhyne on Wednesday afternoon after a 2-2 draw gave both sides one point in conference play.
The tie with the Bears (3-2-1, 0-1-1 SAC) stalled a 17-game home regular season winning streak for the Eagles which dated back to October of 2015. C-N still has not lost at McCown Field in two years.
In the same amount of time, Carson-Newman had never trailed at home until the sixth minute when the Bears' Abbie Brown struck for her second goal of the season.
Brown settled down a ball in the front of the 18-yard box sealing off an Eagles' defender, and her shot to the top left shelf of the net left C-N goalkeeper Jackie Burns with no chance for a deflection.
The Eagles would bring the game back even in the 25th minute after a center from Holly Talbut-Smith gave multiple C-N players a chance on goal. Catarina Realista let go off a shot which was blocked, and landed at the foot of sophomore Lara Hallgrimstoddir. The Kopavogur, Iceland native sent a liner on goal before an L-R defender stuck out her foot to change direction of the ball's path, sending it into the back off the net past the Bears net minder Alayna Morris.
"I'm proud of what they did there matching that first goal, but we were poor tonight," said Coach Simon Duffy. "I thought we were a little flat and didn't come out with the same intensity as we have in past games. We need to be better if we want to push on and do better things."
It took just 18 seconds into the second half for Carson-Newman to regain the lead when the junior Talbut-Smith raced forward on a feed from Magda Mosengo, and shot home her third goal of the season.
The Eagles seemed well on their way to a 6-0 start until the Bears struck on a header from freshman Rachel Fischer in the 87th minute after an L-R corner kick. Aqsa Mushtaq was credited with the assist.
"Lenoir-Rhyne was like a wounded animal having lost two in a row, and I know they didn't want to make it three," added Duffy. "Disappointing to give up a goal there in the last three minutes. Two evenly matched teams out there but we need to be better."
Both Burns and Morris were relatively untested in the overtime periods ending the night with seven and five saves a piece.
Junior Averi Williams made the biggest play of the first overtime period when the C-N goalkeeper Burns was well out of the position. L-R's Taylor Rios let go of a shot from the right of the box, however, it was shut down by the defender out of Knoxville, Tenn. who has been key to the Eagles defense this season.
The teams split the total of 30 fouls, while C-N was given two yellow cards and L-R with one.
The Eagles turn right around and host the Queens Royals on Saturday, Sept. 23. Game time from McCown Field is set for 6:30 p.m.
