ANDERSON, S.C. – With less than three minutes to play in the second overtime period, Felicia Frick (Eschen,Liechtenstein) completed Carson-Newman's second straight comeback with a shot that sailed into the upper part of goal sending the Eagles to the South Atlantic Conference semifinals, defeating Anderson 2-1 in double overtime on Saturday night.
"What a special, special night," Carson-Newman assistant coach Matthew Perry said. "It has been a super emotional week as a group for many reasons. I am just so proud of everyone tonight. This team has that never say die attitude and they deserved everything they got tonight. Credit to Anderson, they made it difficult for us for long periods, but we played and deserved that win tonight."
The Eagles are back in the South Atlantic Conference semifinals for the fourth time under Duffy and for the second time in the last three seasons.
For the second straight game, Carson-Newman trailed at halftime and came back and won the match. Prior to this two-game streak, the Eagles were 0-4 facing halftime deficits and just 3-15-3 under Duffy.
Carson-Newman improves its road record to 4-1-2 this season. It's the most road wins since the 2019 season when the Eagles went 5-2-1 away from Mossy Creek.
Anderson took the game's first two shots, one of which hit woodwork but veered out of play. The Eagles took the rest of the opening half's shots. Maja Bengtsson (Malung, Sweden) had C-N's first real chance as her shot toward the center of goal was saved by Victoria McGovern. Two minutes later, Alba Delgado (Oviedo, Spain) had her shot see the same result and the match was scoreless in the first 30 minutes.
Anderson scored the game's first goal. A ball crossed into the box and it deflected off Emma Deadwyler's foot and found the back of the net to give AU the 1-0 lead in the 33rd minute.
After the goal, the Eagles recorded the final two shots of the half but neither hit goal and C-N trailed at the break.
It was Anderson getting off to a quick start offensively to begin the second half. The Trojans took six shots in the first eight minutes but only one of which forced Berna Kabakci (Zeddam, Netherlands) to save.
Then it was Carson-Newman's turn to threaten offensively. Krista Nielsen (Saudarkrokur, Iceland) sent a pair of shots on target that forced McGovern to make saves. The freshman finally broke through shortly after her first two chances. Nielsen put a shot past the keeper to level the match in the 58th minute.
Elysia Teske (Augusta, GA) nearly gave C-N the lead on her shot in the 64th minute, but McGovern was able to stop it. The final shot on goal in regulation was from Catherine Nardella in the 73rd minute but Kabakci made the stop. 90 minutes was not enough to a winner and the two teams went to overtime. It was Carson-Newman's first overtime game since October 13, 2021 against Lincoln Memorial.
Nielsen took Carson-Newman's only shot on goal in the first overtime. The 91st minute shot toward the bottom right corner was kept out of goal by McGovern. AU's only shot came in the final seconds.
With less than three minutes to play in the second overtime, the Eagles struck gold. Selina Jud (Wilderswil, Switzerland) sent a shot off the top crossbar, and it deflected out to Frick. She secured possession and sent a shot that soared over the head of the goalkeeper and into the back of the net to put the Eagles ahead in the 108th minute. The goal was Frick's fourth this year and sixth of her career. It's her first goal that has not been a penalty kick goal.
Her double overtime goal is the first for C-N since Holly Talbut Smith scored in the 101st minute in a 2-1 win over Catawba back on October 27th, 2018. That being the last time C-N won a double overtime game.
C-N's overtime win is the first in the SAC tournament since November 3rd, 2017 when the Eagles knocked off Tusculum in the SAC quarterfinals.
Nielsen fired a team-high six shots, four of which were on goal. Carson-Newman outshot Anderson 20-15 and 5-2 in the overtime periods. It's the fourth time C-N has taken 20 or more shots in a match this season and second straight.
Kabakci finished her evening with three saves to earn her fifth win of the year. McGovern made seven saves in the losing effort.
Carson-Newman now heads to Matthews, N.C. for the SAC Women's Soccer semifinals set for Friday at 11:00 a.m. The Eagles will play the winner of #1 Lenoir-Rhyne and #8 Mars Hill. That game will be played tomorrow afternoon at 3:00 p.m. in Hickory, N.C.
