JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Senior Nikki McWilliams (Saintfield, Northern Ireland) recorded her first multi-goal game with two scores as the Carson-Newman women's soccer team (5-1, 4-0 SAC) knocked off the Queens (N.C.) Royals (2-4-1, 1-2-1) to stay in a tie for first-place in the South Atlantic Conference.
Carson-Newman's 4-0 start in league play is the program's best start since 2003, a year in which the program won the SAC. The Eagles are tied with Wingate at the top of the SAC table with an unblemished record.
"Congratulations to the team on its victory. Time to step up these next few practices and get read for the next game against Lees-McRae," assistant coach Sarah Tompkins said following the match.
McWilliams took advantage of a Queens's miscue and corralled the ball on the right side of the 18-yard box and beat goalkeeper Tori Danchak to her left and rolled her shot into the net for the 1-0 halftime lead. Freshman Holly Talbut-Smith (Crawley, England) recorded her fourth assist on the season.
McWilliams tallied the second goal of the game in the 73rd-minute to give the Eagles a 2-0 lead. Freshman Alex Brandan (Knoxville, Tenn.) sent a cross in from the left side of the field that found McWilliams and the senior sled the shot home to the left side of the net for eventual game-winner.
Queens did not go away quietly. The Royals recorded six shots in the second half and scored their lone goal in the 84th-minute. Charlotte Ring chipped a shot over the head of freshman Jessica Fraiture (Hebron, Ky.) from 30-yards out to cut the Eagles' lead to 2-1, which was the eventual final score line.
Carson-Newman outshot Queens 19 to nine and junior Julianne Herrity (Donegal, Ireland) led the Eagles with six attempts at the goal. McWilliams followed up closely with five shots, while Ring led the Royals with five shots.
Fraiture recorded two saves in 90 minutes of play and is now 5-1 on the year in net. Danchak had three saves in the loss.
The Eagles embark on a five-game beginning on Wednesday, Sept. 30th with a non-conference tilt with the Lees-McRae Bobcats at 5 p.m.
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