JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – The top-seeded and fourth-ranked Eagles will host the South Atlantic Conference Soccer Championships Quarterfinals matchup on Tuesday, Oct. 31 when Newberry visits Mossy Creek for the second time this season. The game is slated for a 4:00 p.m. kick off.
"Just trying to enjoy the whole experience right now," Coach Simon Duffy exclaimed. "Not trying to get ahead of ourselves, but our goal is to bring home the hardware starting with Newberry tomorrow."
C-N (14-0-1, 9-0-1 SAC) looks to build upon its historic season, as they will look for their sixth straight shutout which would set a new program record. The previous record of consecutive clean sheets came back in the 2015 season.
The Eagles seek their third straight league title, as the path to the championship begins with an eighth-seeded Newberry team who comes in having won four straight games.
"They're playing very well especially coming off the win against L-R on the road," Duffy stated. "We just need to understand that our record doesn't mean anything at this point. You lose and you go home, so we need that cup final mentality going in."
Newberry (7-10, 3-7 SAC) is led by senior forward Alyssa Ortega who is tied with Lauren Wade for the league lead in goals scored with 11. The Venice, California native is second in the league with 27 points and first in shots with 104.
The Eagles held the first-team all-conference player to just three shots in their 2-0 victory back at McCown Field on Sept. 16.
Despite playing the quarterfinal on the road for the third straight season, the No. 8 seeded Wolves hold a better record in road games (5-3) than they do at home at Smith Road Complex (2-7) in 2017.
The Eagles return to McCown Field for the first time since Oct. 14 when they topped the Wingate Bulldogs 1-0. C-N looks to continue its 20-game unbeaten streak at home, which dates back to the 2015 season.
"It'll feel good to get back out there, and I think the girls are excited to get back home," Duffy added. "It's a special place for us, had some good games on the road but looking to perform back here in front of our crowd."
C-N finished the 2017 regular season unbeaten for the first time in program history, and just the second time in league history. The team has trailed for a total of 42:44 minutes out of a possible 1370. They outscored their opponents 51-9 on the year, recording nine total shutouts and holding teams to five or less shots 10 different times.
Check out the highlights from when the two teams met earlier this season.
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