JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – After having its South Atlantic Conference opener postponed, Carson-Newman (2-1-1) heads to Wingate (2-2-1, 1-0) for its conference opener tomorrow afternoon at 3:30 p.m.
Carson-Newman had lots of success in road conference matches last season. The Eagles sported a 3-1-1 record against the SAC on the road. Over the past four seasons, C-N is 13-2-5 in road SAC matches and is 17-5-8 during Lyons' tenure.
Lyons led teams are 35-11-12 against the SAC since 2017. Each season, C-N has finished fourth or better in the league standings, including a regular season title in 2021. Carson-Newman finished 5-2-4 last season, good for third in the league.
Defensively, C-N has been very strong with two first-year center backs leading the way in Jonas Friedl (Styria, Austria) and Bart Schijvenaars (Amsterdam, Netherlands). Goalkeeper Federico Simonetti (Crema, Italy) is top three in the SAC in saves (18), save percentage (.900), goals allowed (2) and goals against average (0.50).
Wingate and Carson-Newman played to a scoreless draw during last season's matchup in Mossy Creek. The defensive battle was highlighted by the number of fouls (32) committed in the match. Both goalkeepers made three saves in the tie. Carson-Newman won its most recent trip to Wingate in 2021. The Eagles scored an 18th minute goal and added two more early in the second half to win 3-1. The win two seasons ago was C-N's first win at Wingate.
Wingate is unbeaten in three straight matches after dropping its first two matches of the year. The two losses were against #7 Rollins and #11 Florida Tech at home. The two wins came in its only two road matches this year against Emory & Henry and Belmont Abbey, with the tie coming last time out against Francis Marion. Wingate was dominant in its first SAC match of the season, scoring three first half goals en route to a 5-1 win over the Wasps.
The Bulldogs represent one of the top scoring offenses in the SAC, averaging over 2 goals per match. The Bulldogs have the second most goals and the third most assists. The offensive success comes despite ranking toward the bottom in shots per match amongst league members
It is a balanced attack that leads the Bulldogs charge on offense, with four different players having scored multiple goals this year. Pablo Pozos and Kosi Mafela each have three, while Tajay Grant and Florens Van Honk each have two goals. Seven Wingate players have assisted on a goal this year as well.
Two different goalkeepers have worked into the mix for a defense that has allowed at least a goal in every match this year. Marcus Munby has three starts, allowing three goals to go along with six saves. Aleksa Janjic has made the other two starts, and has nine saves.
The match is slated for a 3:30 p.m. start from the Wingate Soccer Complex. The game can be streamed on FloSports with a subscription. Fans can also follow along to @CN_Eagles on Twitter and Instagram for in-game updates.
