Video: Highlights v. Mars Hill
Video: Lara Hallgrimsdottir Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – No. 20 Carson-Newman Women's Soccer scored four unanswered goals in the final 45 to push the Eagles to their 12th-straight win over Mars Hill by a 4-1 final on Wednesday afternoon at McCown Field. Three of the four would come within a span of 3:23
During C-N's (8-3. 6-1) streak they have outscored MHU (2-9, 1-5) 40-10 moving the overall series to 26-2-1 with the Lions last win coming during the 2007 season.
The Eagles built on its record against conference opponents over the last three regular-season meetings as they now sit at 34-4-2 while outscoring opponents 126-29.
Lara Hallgrimsdottir got things going for C-N in the 58th minute after teammate Catarina Realista was tackled in the box setting up the Eagles with a penalty kick opportunity. The junior midfielder placed the ball near the left post and past the diving Mars Hill goalkeeper Tonje Jorgensen for her first goal of the season.
"I just knew it was really important to score this goal being down one," Hallgrimsdottir said. "Cat going down in the box allowed us to get a free goal and it was just important to get us on the board. We needed to come out with a high energy in the second half."
Just 50 seconds later, Duffy's group struck once again after a ball ping-ponged around in the six-yard box, finding the head of sophomore Kristina Markfort who nodded the ball into the back of the net. Holly Talbut-Smith added her fifth assist of the year on Markfort's second of 2018. The eventual game winner would be the midfielder's second of the season.
The Eagles kept things rolling minutes later as senior midfielder Kennedy Rankin found Emilee Futrell in the box. The Wilson, N.C. native dragged the ball past a Lions defender and ripped a shot with her right boot past the MHU keeper Jorgensen for C-N's third goal in the aforementioned span of 3:23. The tally was Futrell's eighth of the year.
Averi Williams scored the final goal of the day on a well-placed free-kick from Hallgrimsdottir as Williams split two Lions defenders as she raised up and headed in her second goal of the year. Both of the defender's goals in 2018 have come off headers.
Mars Hill was the first team to strike in the match after a boot from Kanani Thomas near the right corner flag was sent toward the goal. C-N goalkeeper Jackie Burns allowed the ball to sail over her head and could not backtrack in time as the ball sailed in for Thomas' first goal of 2018.
"They deserved to be up at the half, we did not deserve it at all," Hallgrimsdottir said. "We needed to come out with a higher energy and they were winning the majority of the balls."
"What makes us an elite program is competing at a very high level and we didn't do that for the first half," Duffy said. "We were able to get it back in the second half but we can't do that against teams in this conference because they will make you pay like Mars Hill did today and all credit to them. We lacked in so many departments."
At the break, the Eagles held the advantage 13-2 but were unable to find the back of the net as Tonje Jorgensen for the Lions collected five saves. The 1-0 deficit marked just the third time this season C-N trailed coming out of the half. Duffy's group finished the evening outshooting Mars Hill 30-4, the fifth time this season C-N has outshot a team by 25 or more.
Jackie Burns (7-0) went without a save on the afternoon with the one goal being the only shot to go on frame. Jorgensen (1-6), who was a big part of the Lions lead heading into the break had seven saves. The Eagles also held the advantage in corner kicks 12-0.
Since the 2011 year, Mars Hill now moves to 10-50 against SAC opponents, and just 5-34 on the road in such contests
C-N was without its leading goal scorer in Magda Mosengo who collected her fifth yellow card on the season against Queens on Saturday. She will return to the Eagles lineup when they travel to Wingate on Saturday, Oct. 20.
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