JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – When Carson-Newman (0-1) welcomes Union (1-0) to town on Saturday afternoon, it will mark the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
Carson-Newman opens its home slate just one after opening its season on the road against #23 Columbus State.
"It's the recovery that is important in a short turnaround," Carson-Newman head coach Simon Duffy said. "We know very little about them and I think they know very little about us. So, it will be an interesting battle having never played them. We just need to make sure our players are ready and understanding of the quick turnaround with the Thursday Saturday game because that is not something we are accustomed to."
Carson-Newman will aim to continue its home success under Duffy. The Eagles have won their home openers the past two seasons and are 42-13-7 under the eighth-year head coach when playing within the friendly confines of McCown Field. C-N has outscored its opponents 143-64 since 2017.
Five C-N players were named preseason all-conference. All-SAC midfielder Felicia Frick was C-N's lone second-team pick. Four players were selected to the third team. Forwards Anita Arnadottir and Krista Nielsen and midfielders Alba Delgado and Selina Jud earned third team honors by the league's coaches.
In their season opener, the Eagles were held to just three shots, all of which came in the final six minutes of the game. C-N surrendered six goals, five of which came in the second half. It's the most goals allowed since giving up seven to Catawba in Sept of 2021.
The Union Bulldogs were projected to finish fifth in the Gulf South Conference's Preseason Coaches Poll, receiving 95 points.
Union put together an 8-9-1 campaign in 2023 and went 7-6 in conference games. Coach Josh Alford led Union to its most wins in a season since 2012 when it finished 8-10-2. The program made its second GSC Tournament appearance, falling to the fourth seed Montevallo in the opening round.
The Bulldogs began the 2024 season in impressive fashion, with a 3-1 road win against Harding University. After going a goal down in the second minute, Union was able to battle back to secure the road win. The win broke Union's losing streak of four straight in season-openers. Three different players scored in the win, while Lucia Revuelto added two assists, one in each half. Union has never lost since turning to NCAA DII when scoring three goals or more in a game.
Counting yesterday's win, Union has won just four road games since 2022. Saturday afternoon's match will be the first time since 2016 that Union will compete against a team from the South Atlantic Conference. It will mark just the fourth game against a SAC team since transitioning to NCAA DII in 2012.
First touch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. A video stream is available with a subscription to FloSports at cneagles.com/floFC.
