ROCK HILL, S.C. – Carson-Newman junior midfielder Tom Read's (London, England) two goal, three assist week garnered AstroTurf South Atlantic Conference Player of the Week honors, the league announced Monday.
Read's honor is the first of his career and the second for an Eagle as senior forward Nick Skoda was given the award on Sept. 14th.
During the week, the junior complied seven points, six shots and turned in a performance that had not occurred since 2004 against Catawba.
Read began the week with the game-winning goal on the road at Lincoln Memorial. The junior took a through ball from senior Stuart Oliver (Beverly, England) at the midfield line and dribbled into the 18-yard box. Read took a shot from the right side of the box and beat Railsplitter goalkeeper Pedro Ozi to his left to give Carson-Newman a 2-1 lead in the 44th-minute.
"There was a bit going on. There was a foul and everyone was concentrating on the foul," Read said of the build-up to his goal. "Stu Oliver picked up the ball, played a perfect pass, I thought I was off sides, but I got onto it and put in the bottom corner. It was a pretty good finish, but I thought it was a bit lucky as well."
On Saturday against Catawba, the Englishman recorded the first three-assist game for an Eagle since 2004 and he added a goal. Read opened the scoring for the Orange and Blue in the 57th-minute when he beat Indian goalkeeper Christian Watts.
"Sindre had a shot deflected and came to me on my left foot and I just hit it. I'm really good with my left foot. It got a nick of one of their defenders and went into the back of the net; I was quite happy about that," Read said.
C-N's next three goals were all set up by Read's kicks on set pieces. He sent consecutive corner kicks into the box that were headed home by junior Marius Staalby (Trondheim, Norway) and senior Sindre Welo (Trondheim, Norway). Read then assisted Welo's game-winning goal 86th-minute when the junior sent a free kick into the box and Welo flicked it over the keeper for the goal.
He now leads the team with six assists and sits tied for fifth on the squad with three goals on the season.
"I know that we have some dangerous players in the air; we have Marius, Sindre and (James) Ward. They are very dangerous and all I have is put it in there and I'm pretty certain they will put a head on it," Read said of the set pieces.
Carson-Newman hosts No. 19 Young Harris on Tuesday evening at 5 p.m. in a critical Southeast region match between two of the top teams in the region.
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