CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A rematch of the 2017 Southeast Region Semifinal concluded on Saturday afternoon as No. 19 Carson-Newman topped the Queens Royals for the fifth-straight time in the 2-0 final at the Queens Sports Complex.
"Another great performance from start to finish," Coach Simon Duffy said. "I thought we really stepped up our game there in the second half and we stayed all over them just allowing one shot in that second half and keeping that clean sheet. Just so proud of what we accomplished today."
C-N (8-3, 6-1) has now outscored Queens (6-5, 2-4) 13-3 over the span of the five-consecutive wins. Following a first half which remained scoreless, Magda Mosengo (London, England) collected the first tally just over a minute into the second frame.
Sophomore Emilee Futrell (Wilson, N.C.) set up Mosengo for her conference-leading 12th goal of the 2018 campaign. It marked Futrell's third assist and 17th point this season. The goal would be the eventual game-winner and fourth of the season for Mosengo adding to the total of 11 for her career.
The senior preseason All-South Atlantic Conference forward came back for seconds just five minutes later when Alex Brandan (Knoxville, Tenn.) fed Mosengo to put the Eagles up by a pair. The helper for Brandan pushes her season total to three, all of which have come in the past two matches.
"Magda scored in every conference game thus far," Duffy said. "To have that type of production and have the willingness to step up when you lose a big goal scorer, it is great to see. She enjoys the spotlight and the other girls really feed off of it and are able to be productive for us."
Since starting the season without a point in the first two games, Mosengo has registered at least one point in every game since.
Duffy's group continues to hold the advantage in the shot category this season as it ended the day outshooting the Royals 13-5. C-N has only been outshot once this season and that came all the way back in the first game of the season against West Florida on Aug. 31 when the Argonauts sat on top 13-8.
Queens mustered just one shot on frame marking the 9th time this season in which Duffy's squad has allowed five or less in a match.
Jackie Burns moved into second all-time in the history of the SAC for career clean sheets grabbing her 27th solo shutout. Burns pushed past Wingate's Alexis Jones who held 26 from the 2014-17 seasons. She remains five off the league record held by Catawba's Kim Clayton from 1999-2002.
In search of its fourth-straight regular season SAC title, the Eagles over the last three regular-season league matchups are 33-4-2 against its opponents and have outscored them 122-28.
Entering the day Duffy's side sat atop the conference table with 15 points, tied with Lenoir-Rhyne and Anderson. With the Bears falling to the Lincoln Memorial Railsplitters 2-1 and Anderson tying with the Tusculum Pioneers 1-1, the win puts C-N alone at the top with 18 points in total.
C-N will return to McCown Field on Wednesday, Oct. 17 to host the Mars Hill Lions. Game time is slated for 5:00 p.m.
-CN-