Trojans hand Eagles first conference loss of the season

Trojans hand Eagles first conference loss of the season

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Despite outshooting the Anderson (S.C.) Trojans 21 to five, two goals in the span of 30 seconds late in the first half doomed the Carson-Newman Eagles (7-2, 4-1 SAC) as the Trojans (9-1, 4-1 SAC) took a 2-1 win at the Spartanburg Upward Stars Center Saturday afternoon.

The loss snaps the Eagles' five-game win streak that dated back to Sept. 11th when C-N loss to Ohio Dominican, which was the team's longest-streak since 2010.

With the loss, Carson-Newman and Anderson move into a tie for first-place with the Wingate Bulldogs. Wingate travels to Harrogate, Tenn. for a Sunday match-up against the Lincoln Memorial Railsplitters.

"The girls played well, but silly mistakes led to our loss," coach Richard Moodie said. "We had a 1-0 lead and we need to learn to hold onto the lead."

Carson-Newman recorded the first 14 shots of the contest and took the early 1-0 lead in the 34th-minute on a goal from sophomore Camilla Olsson (Trondheim, Norway). Olsson took a shot from the top of the 18-yard box and slid her shot underneath the hand of Anderson goalkeeper Abby Helm; freshman Heida Ragney (Akureyri, Iceland) recorded her third assist on the year.

Anderson struck twice right before the end of the first half. Kenzie Van Huesen stepped to the penalty spot in the 41st-minute after a handball was called in the box against Carson-Newman. Van Huesen went to her left and scored her seventh-goal in 2015.

Twenty-eight seconds later, the Trojans scored the game-winner. Junior Idoia Agirre tallied her 13th-goal of the year after taking a through ball played through the C-N box from Megan Foster and beat goalkeeper Jessica Fraiture (Hebron, Ky.). Abbey Mills was awarded an assist on the play.

Neither team recorded a score in the last 45-minute stanza. The Eagles outshot Anderson seven to three.

Freshman Holly Talbut-Smith (Crawley, England) led the Eagles with five shots. Olsson, freshman Varin Ness (Sogndal Norway) and junior Julianne Herrity (Donegal, Ireland) each had four attempts at goal.

C-N lost for the first time in 2015 when the Eagles opened the scoring; Saturday's contest was only the second time during the year that the Orange and Blue did not lead or were tied at the half. The loss was also Carson-Newman's first loss on Saturday.

Olsson's tally was her third goal of the year, her fifth of her career and moves into a three-way tie for third on the team.  Three goals is now the benchmark in a season for the Norwegian.

Carson-Newman returns to the Volunteer State on Wednesday for a 1 p.m. tussle on the road at Lincoln Memorial. 

-CN-