JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – After 11,400 hours, Carson-Newman sees action in 2021 for the first time as the Railsplitters of Lincoln Memorial pay Mossy Creek a visit for a 7:30 p.m. contest. There will be a limit of 50 fans allowed in attendance at McCown Field at Harvey Stadium in accordance with the updated C-N Athletics attendance policy.
Thursday marks the beginning of an unusual 2021 campaign for both programs. The Eagles last saw action on November 9, 2019 against Queens (N.C.) in the SAC Quarterfinals. This will also be the beginning of a short two-game home stint for C-N while starting the 2021 conference pod style of play.
"To start right off the bat with a program like LMU is a true test of our program and means a lot. They're now being led by a familiar coach in Matt Carr and I know they're going to be strong," head coach Simon Duffy said. "Our players are really up for it and really excited. Once we kick off the season and start the match, it will all sink in and I'm excited for it to begin."
The ever-unusual spring campaign starts a little different for the Eagles – a home game with Duffy at the helm. The Eagles have not started their season at home since Simon Duffy took over the program in 2017. In their season openers under Duffy, the Eagles are being outscored 4-2 but when the Eagles have opened at home, their margin is 12-1.
Of the 27 goals scored by the Eagles last season, 20 return for the Orange and Blue this year, scored by seven different players. Duffy also returns 214 of its 305 shots attempts from 2019, with senior Emilee Futrell (Wilson, N.C.) leading both categories.
The third place Eagles are coming off a 2019 campaign that saw it post not only its five-straight top-three finish but rank among the leaders in many statistical categories for the SAC. Offensively, C-N sat in the top five for shots (305) and assists (23). Meanwhile, the defense of C-N saw a stat of four shoutouts, 75 saves, and 72 corner kicks, all ranking in the top-10 for the SAC.
Thursday will be the 15th overall matchup for the Eagles and Railsplitters, dating back to 2009. Since the first meeting, the Eagles hold the overall 8-4-2 series lead including winning three out of the last five. This is the first time the two sides have gone to battle since September of 2019 when junior Jente Kuper (Ottersberg, Germany) gave C-N the late victory with a goal in the 84th minute. Overall, C-N has outscored the Crusaders 30-22 in their meetings.
"We've used this time the best we can but there's only we can do," Duffy said. "We played a top program in Lee last week but I'm hoping that matchup will prepare us for an even bigger matchup with a program like LMU. The biggest thing we want our team to do is enjoy the moment because it has been a long time and we're ready to get started."
Lincoln Memorial will officially open up their 2021 campaign on Thursday after playing a pair of exhibitions against the like of Lee University and Lenoir-Rhyne.
Heading into this season, the Lady Railsplitters land at tied for fifth in the South Atlantic Conference preseason poll with Limestone University back in early February. This came after they earned a fifth-seed in the 2019 SAC tournament before going on and taking the tournament title. Statistically, they were the leaders for shots (58), third in shots (390), led the league in assists (47), and had the second lowest goals against average at 0.81.
The Lady Railsplitters will have a new face on the sidelines for a coach, but he is no stranger to SAC action. First-year head coach Matthew Carr brings 13 years of NCAA Division I and II soccer coaching experience to Harrogate. He was previously the Carson-Newman men's and women's soccer assistant coach. He helped lead the Eagles to the 2018 women's regular season championship while also helping the men's team secure the 2019 regular season title.
"He's really capable of running a program and can bring success to LMU (hopefully not against us). He has a lot of experience and I have a lot of respect for him," Duffy said. "Even though we face off against Thursday, I wish him the absolute best for his career."
Along with Carr joining the staff, the Railsplitters have junior Jessica Cravero coming back as a preseason first-team All-SAC selection. She led the team with 18 goals and 39 points while recording seven game-winning goals.
Thursday's match is set to kick off at 7:30 p.m. at McCown Field. There will be live stats and live stream at cneagles.com/live.
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