JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – The only South Atlantic Conference team that defeated the 14th-ranked Carson-Newman women's soccer team (16-2) is the next team on the bracket in the fifth-seeded Anderson (S.C.) Trojans (14-3-1) as the Eagles and Trojans are set up for a SAC Tournament semifinal at 5 p.m. at Manchester Meadows in Rock Hill, S.C. as the Eagles appear in their first semifinal match since 2009.
Top-seeded Carson-Newman advanced to the semifinals after a 1-0 win over Lincoln Memorial on Tuesday night even though the Eagles played the majority of the second half a player down. SAC Freshman of the Year Varin Ness (Sogndal, Norway) scored from a free kick for the game-winner. Anderson tallied two goals in the final nine minutes of regulation from first-team All-SAC forward Idoia Agirre to send its quarterfinal contest against Lenoir-Rhyne to overtime. The Trojans beat the Bears in PKs 4-2 to punch their ticket to Rock Hill.
During the regular season, the Trojans and Eagles dealt with a change of venue as Hurricane Joaquin pelted the Palmetto State with rain and the match was moved to nearby Spartanburg. C-N tallied first in 34th-minute off a strike from Camilla Olsson, but Anderson tallied two goals in less than 30 seconds late in the first half for the 2-1 win.
The Eagles enter the match as the top-team in the NCAA's Southeast regional rankings; Anderson currently sits ninth and are on the outside of the NCAA Tournament field.
"We talked as a group and that's the game we would've wanted. They are a great team, well coached and I thought their team has been real good. They've had a few changes, too. That L-R game was a good game to watch to let us figure them out," coach Richard Moodie said. "They've had a lot of success, scored two goals late. They're a team that is relentless and won't give up. For us, if we could have it any way, we would want a difficult team like Anderson I don't think there is an easy route to the final."
The SAC's Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year and four first-team All-SAC selections will be on the same pitch when the two teams face off. Junior Julianne Herrity (Donegal, Ireland) was tabbed the Player of the Year, Ness picked up Freshman of the Year honors; C-N's Heida Ragney (Akureyri, Iceland) and Anderson's Agirre joined Ness and Herrity as first-team selections. In total, 10 All-Conference team members will be playing in the semifinal contest.
Agirre led the conference in goal scoring in the regular season with 20 scores and she found the back of the net two more times against L-R in the quarterfinals to bring her total to 22. Herrity leads the Eagles with 14 strikes, which ranks fourth in the SAC. Anderson's Abby Helm and C-N's Jessica Fraiture (Hebron, Ky.) have been their respective program's first-team keeper. Fraiture is third in the league with a goals against average of 0.83 goals conceded per contest, while Helm is fifth with an average of 0.95.
Two of the league's top-scoring offenses will be on the pitch. Anderson led the SAC with 54 goals scored on the year, while the Eagles tallied the most scores in conference with 34 registered.
Since joining the league in 2010, the Trojans have qualified for SAC Tournaments and their 2015 appearance is the just the second-time Anderson has advanced past the quarterfinals. In 2011, AU fell 2-0 to eventual champions Lenoir-Rhyne. The Trojans have never officially won a SAC Tournament contest; they have advanced to both semifinal appearances by way of a penalty shootout. The Eagles are 3-3-1 in semifinal contests, but have won each of the last three. The four-time SAC champions beat Catawba 2-1 in 2009, which was the last time C-N made the round.
"I think it will be an even game; I think it will be a fantastic contest. They're a great team and we have a lot of respect for them. For us, I think it's an opportunity to get some revenge and hopefully our girls can rise to the occasion," Moodie said. "It's an exciting moment for the girls to be back to Rock Hill for the first time since 2009. It's been too long for us, but it's exciting just to be a part of it and we are excited for the match-up."
Carson-Newman and Anderson kick off at 5 p.m. on Friday from Manchester Meadows in Rock Hill. The Queens Sports Information will provide live stats and video will be available by the SAC Digital Network.
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