JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Facing its first 0-2 start since 2014, Carson-Newman looks to get into the win column as it welcomes Erskine to town for a midweek meeting on Wednesday at McCown Field.
Carson-Newman (0-2) heads into the match after falling in its first road match of the year to Shorter, 1-0, on Saturday. Each of the last three matches C-N has played in since the end of the 2020-21 year have resulted in a loss. The last time the program dropped four-straight was back at the end of 2017, going winless in the final seven contests with a 0-6-1 skid.
The Eagles are back on the home pitch for the second of their nine home matches this season. They have not seen a win at McCown Field since the South Atlantic Conference quarterfinal when they defeated Lincoln Memorial on April 5, 2021.
Wednesday's matchup ends a string of non-conference tests before the start of SAC action. The Eagles are 176-142-24 all-time against non-conference sides, 14-13-1 since Stephen Lyons became the head coach in 2017. Erskine (0-2) is the first Conference Carolinas team the Orange and Blue has faced since taking down Belmont Abbey in the 2020-21 season opener, 4-1, on Feb. 13, 2021. The Eagles are 42-14-4 against Conference Carolinas teams all-time. In Stephen Lyons' tenure, C-N sits at 5-2 against CC sides, currently holding a four-match winning streak with a 17-2 scoring advantage in that stretch.
It has been well over two decades since Carson-Newman and Erskine last met, facing off for just the third time. The series is tied 1-1 with the visitors in both matches leaving victorious. Scoring is also even in the series at 2-2.
Carson-Newman won the last meeting between the two sides, 2-1, back on Oct. 22, 1994 in Due West, S.C. The year before that, the series began with a 1-0 win for Erskine on the banks of Mossy Creek.
Much like C-N, Erskine is still on the prowl for its first win of the year. It fell to Clayton State, 2-0, on Saturday after losing to North Georgia Thursday, 2-1.
The Flying Fleet were picked to finish third in the Conference Carolinas preseason poll, receiving three first-place votes. They come off of a 2020-21 campaign where they won the league's regular season title after going 6-0 in conference matches. They went 7-1 overall, falling to Belmont Abbey in the CC Championship Semifinals, 1-0. Four-time CC Coach of the Year Warren Turner's group led the nation in corner kicks per game last season with 9.25. It scored 19 goals throughout last season, the fourth-most in the CC and had the fifth-most points with 49.
Erskine closed out the 2020-21 season ranked No. 17 in the final national ranking from the United Soccer Coaches. It headed into this season receiving votes in the preseason poll.
Of the nine Fleet players tabbed All-Conference selections at the end of the 2020-21 campaign, six return this year, including first-teamers Evan Zizek and Oscar Hernandez along with second-team picks Cole, Fernando Gonzalez, Isaac White and Tobias Rawson.
Dennis Cole is the only Fleet player to score a goal this season. He led the team in scoring last season, tallying 11 points on five goals and an assist. He attempted a team-high 33 shots with 19 on frame and two game-winning goals.
Reigning CC Defensive Player of the Year Evan Zizek returns for his sophomore season in net. He allowed just one goal throughout his entire freshman campaign, playing in over 417 minutes and anchoring a defensive group that led the nation with a 0.955 save percentage and was fourth in Division II with six shutouts. This season, he has started in both losses for the Flying Fleet, allowing four goals with 12 saves.
Wednesday's match is set to kick off at 5 p.m. from McCown Field. Fans who cannot make it can watch a live broadcast from the Eagles Sports Network at cneagles.com/live with live in-match updates coming on Twitter from @CN_Eagles.
