Richard Moodie Press Conference
Eric Faulconer Press Conference
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – A goal just 59 seconds into the NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Championship match between the 13th-ranked Carson-Newman women's soccer team and the Armstrong State Pirates (13-4-3) helped guide the Eagles to the program's sixth Sweet 16 appearance with a 3-0 win over the Pirates Sunday afternoon at McCown Field.
Carson-Newman advanced to its first Sweet 16 appearance since 2009 and the Eagles extended their win streak to 12, which is a school record. C-N also recorded its fifth-straight clean sheet, which is also a school record.
"It's a proud moment for us as a program. I think for a team that only won three games all last year, now to be overall 19-2 on the year and to be our first experienced in the national tournament since 2009, and here we are about to enter into the Sweet 16," coach Richard Moodie said. "I think it's a very proud moment for us as a group, and again, I think we just have to take it in and enjoy every minute of it and be thankful that we have a chance to practice tomorrow again.
The Eagles struck for their first goal just 59 seconds into the contest. Junior right back Elissa Lane (Knoxville, Tenn.) made a run down the right sideline towards the corner flag and whipped a cross into the box. Junior forward Julianne Herrity (Donegal, Ireland) flicked the ball over her head towards the middle of the box; Armstrong goalkeeper Morgan Luckie ran to meet the ball, but freshman forward Holly Talbut-Smith (Crawley, England) beat Luckie to the ball, headed over the keeper and into the net. The goal was C-N's quickest of the season and the first for Talbut-Smith since Sept. 16th against Lenoir-Rhyne.
After the goal in the first-minute, the two teams combined for just three more shots. Each team recorded two shots in the first 45 minutes with Carson-Newman freshman goalkeeper Jessica Fraiture (Hebron, Ky.) tallied two saves in the half as the Eagles led 1-0 at the break.
The match opened up in the second half with Armstrong and C-N combining for 20 shots. The Eagles added their second goal in the 67th-minute. Herrity took a ball from the left sideline from senior forward Nikki McWilliams (Saintfield, Northern Ireland) and split two defenders, beat Luckie with a move and found the back of the net to push C-N ahead 2-0. The goal was Herrity's 16th of the year, which is tied for ninth in the record books for goals in a season.
Armstrong's best chance on goal came in the 74th-minute. Forward Taylor Valley laced a shot from the right side that Fraiture dove and saved, but the freshman allowed a rebound. Forward Jenny Allen picked up the rebound and took a shot. Sophomore defender Helen Seed (Preston, England) took Fraiture's spot on the goal line, stood in front of Allen's shot and made a save with her midsection to preserve the clean sheet.
"That was huge for Helen to be able to just come in behind me and save it after I deflected it. Its stopped the goal and that's what we wanted," Fraiture said of the team
McWilliams capped the scoring in the 90th-minute with a strike from 30 yards out that got over the hand of Luckie for the senior's ninth goal of 2015 and put Carson-Newman ahead 3-0.
The Eagles outshot the Pirates 13-11 with 11 of C-N's shots coming in the second half. Talbut-Smith, McWilliams, freshman Averi Williams (Powell, Tenn.) and freshman Varin Ness (Sogndal, Norway) each registered three shots. Sarah Olin, McKenzie Anderson and Amanda Green led Armstrong with two shots each.
"It changed in the first minute. It changed everything we wanted to do. Credit to them. They came out and high pressured us- something they haven't done a lot this year. They kind of sit back a little bit and everything that we saw during the course of the year was that," Armstrong coach Eric Faulconer said after the match. "They kind of absorb a little bit of pressure and then start to play, so credit to them on that. They got the early goal and then you're chasing the game. Tough team to crack once you're chasing the game, so I think that made all the difference and then at that point, obviously some of those goals come from just trying to score."
Armstrong recorded the only corner kick of the contest in the 50th-minute of the second half but Seed cleared the ball out of the box.
Fraiture recorded her fifth-straight clean sheet and set a school record with her 10th shutout of the season. The freshman made six saves against the Pirates. Luckie made four saves but conceded three goals in the game.
The Eagles' 12-match win streaks bests the 2009 team's streak of 11-straight wins that opened the season.
"I think it's just the maturity within the squad by knowing both sides of the ball," Moodie said of his team's clean sheet streak. "We are such an offensive team. I think we led the conference and nationally we have such an offense, but when you get to these national tournament games, we are amongst the top-dogs. I think if you can prevent them from scoring, we know that we are at least good for a goal a game, and so we know that it is going to come and have to believe that the goal will come.
"So defensively, I think there is some pressure on our squad to make sure that it is not to come back and tie a game, but it is to come back and put us in the lead."
The Eagles are now 2-1 all-time against Armstrong. The teams split a series at McCown Field in 2007 and 2008.
The win means Carson-Newman will host the Southeast regional final and the Elite Eight match-up that pits the Southeast regional champion against the South regional champ with a chance for a Final Four berth on the line next week at Mossy Creek.
Carson-Newman will host Columbus State on Friday in the Sweet 16 on Friday afternoon at McCown Field. A time has not been set yet. The Carson-Newman Athletic Communications department will announce the kickoff time once it is determined.
-CN-
