JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman women's soccer (9-3-2, 7-2) has one of its toughest tests to date, as it heads on the road to face unbeaten #8 Catawba (13-0-1, 7-0-1) tomorrow afternoon at 3:30 p.m.
Both teams are chasing first place Lenoir-Rhyne in the South Atlantic Conference standings. The Eagles have 21 points, trailing LR by two points. The Lady Indians have 22 points to trail LR by just one. Catawba has played one less match than both C-N and LR.
Carson-Newman used a late surge to defeat Lincoln Memorial on Wednesday. In the final 10 minutes, senior Jente Kuper and graduate student Elena Propst scored goals less than two minutes apart to seal the victory. The win completed an unbeaten home regular season, and extended C-N's unbeaten streak at home to thirteen consecutive games.
The Eagles offense ranks second in the SAC, with 2.36 goals per game. That mark is also ranked inside the top 30 in the NCAA. C-N has scored multiple goals in eight of their fourteen matches this season.
The offense is balanced for Simon Duffy's squad, with 14 different goal scorers this season. Three different players are tied for the team lead with four goals scored. Nine players total have scored multiple goals this year.
Senior Addie Henry and Junior Abbie Zander both have five assists to lead the Eagles. Nine other Eagles have assisted on a goal this season.
Freshman goalkeeper Laura Germes is top five in goals allowed (9) and goals against average (0.75).
Both of C-N's losses in SAC play have come on the road. Under Simon Duffy, C-N is 20-6-2 against the SAC on the road.
Catawba is one of eight remaining unbeaten teams. The only blemish on their record is a scoreless tie with Wingate on September 21st. They enter the match on a five-game winning streak.
The Lady Indians have the best offense in the SAC with 59 goals scored this season. Their 4.21 goals per game ranks second in the country. They rank first in the nation with 3.64 assists per game.
Reigning SAC offensive player of the year Hannah Dunn has picked up where she left off in 2021. She leads the SAC and is 3rd in the country with 14 goals scored. Helen Summerell is a perfect sidekick to Dunn. She has booted home 11 goals and leads the SAC with nine assists.
Goalkeeper Sierra Davis has not allowed a goal in 834 minutes, breaking her record of 795 scoreless minutes set last season. She has only allowed two goals all season. Her 0.16 goal against average mark is the best in the country. The Lady Indians are first in the country in shutout percentage (0.786).
These two teams met twice last season. In the regular season meeting, C-N fell 7-0. Catawba ended the Eagles' season with a 3-0 win in the SAC semifinals last season.
"It's an exceptional Catawba side," Carson-Newman head coach Simon Duffy said. "They are well-coached and have wonderful players. We just need to go down and give our best effort and be at our best because that is what this game is going to take."
Be certain to follow Carson-Newman athletics on twitter at @cn_eagles for live updates.
The game can be streamed on FloSports with a subscription.
