JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – After an 18-day break from action, the Eagles are back in action on Monday as they travel to Greenville, Tenn. for a matchup with the Tusculum Pioneers at 7:00 p.m. from Pioneer Field.
This will be the first game that Carson-Newman (1-1, 1-1 South Atlantic Conference) has played since defeating Mars Hill on March 4 from McCown Field, 6-0. The matchup between C-N and Tusculum was originally on the docket for March 11 prior to the Eagles entering SAC COVID-19 management protocols.
So far this season, Carson-Newman stands at fourth in the SAC for goals (7), lead the conference in goals for average (3.50) and are in a three-way tie for third in assists with six.
"We've faced adversity for sure and our players are ready to get back into action. Our players are ready to play and we're looking forward to a tough challenge going to Tusculum on Monday before having them come here next Thursday," Carson-Newman coach Simon Duffy said. "Biggest thing for our players is to compete but not to get drawn into any tough battles with how tough they are. We've told them to get ready and hopefully we can get ready to play like we did against Mars Hill."
After winning its first SAC game of the season, C-N is looking for its first pair of back-to-back conference wins since October 2019 when it won three straight over Coker, Mars Hill, and Limestone.
This will be the first road test for the Eagles as they have been fortunate to start the season with two straight home matches for the first time since 2017. Under Duffy, the Eagles are 11-3 on the road and 8-1-1 when playing a SAC foe on the road. The Eagles have gone 1,619 days without a true conference road loss, coming back on October 15, 2016 to Wingate by a final of 1-0 in OT.
This meeting marks the 17th between C-N and Tusculum, dating back to 2007. When hosting, Tusculum has only beaten C-N once which was back in 2013 as the Pioneers took a 2-0 decision. Carson-Newman holds the overall series lead at 9-7-0, outscoring Tusculum 13-7 in the last five matchups.
The last time C-N visited Tusculum was on Nov. 6, 2019. On that day, Carson-Newman started off the scoring with a goal by Lara Hallgrimsdottir before Tusculum responded with one of their own. Senior Emilee Futrell (Wilson, N.C.) was quick to give the Eagles a lead once more before the Pioneers stormed back and made it 2-2 heading into the final minutes. Neither side could push across another goal in regulation time, but it was Futrell who was the ultimate difference maker as she got past the keeper and scored the game-winning goal in the 95th minute. The hard-fought match saw a combined 41 shots and 27 fouls, with only a single red card shown to Tusculum in the 37th minute.
Each of the last three matchups have been close, with only one goal being the deciding factor. The latest was the 3-2 result from Pioneer Field in 2019, as Carson-Newman has taken claim to two out of the three victories since 2017.
"We know it will be a tough game and I'm hoping we can bring the passion and seed of play. If we win by one goal, I'll be happy as if we win by two or three knowing they come here a couple days later," Duffy said. "Our players are just ready to get out there and represent Carson-Newman. It will be one where the result really matters to us and we're ready to get on the road."
In their shortened 2021 season, Tusculum have collected a 2-2-1 record including a season sweep over the Mars Hill Lions. The Pioneers and Lions squared off on Thursday, with Tusculum taking the 2-0 victory thanks to the team taking 12 shots and having Cece Mortensen collect another seven saves for her 2021 campaign.
Tina Haig leads the team with three goals on the season and 13 shot attempts (nine shots on goal) on the year. Meanwhile, Kaitlyn Watson leads the Pioneers with three assists in 2021 are leading the team with two assists so far this season.
CeCe Mortensen has played in every game for Tusculum so far, collecting 29 saves while only allowing four goals all season.
As a team, Tusculum is sitting in second behind Lenoir-Rhyne (9) for assists as the Pioneers have amassed eight themselves while being fifth in the conference for shot attempts at 57. Finally, the Pioneers have seen the most yellow cards, with nine shown while the Pioneers have yet to see a red card this season.
Live stats and video will come from Pioneer Field and will be provided by the staff at Tusculum with real-time updates coming from @CNathletics on Twitter.
