ANDERSON, S.C. - After earning a point for the university with a 2-0 victory over archrival Erskine on Wednesday, Anderson University women's soccer returns to South Atlantic Conference action on Saturday for its regular season finale against Carson-Newman. Kickoff from McCown Field is scheduled for 5 p.m.
The Trojans
After 16 matches this season, AU's postseason hopes rely on the
final regular season contest, as a win would send the Trojans to
the SAC Tournament after missing the annual tournament last season
with a ninth place finish. Anderson enters the weekend with a 6-9-1
overall record and a 3-6-1 mark in league play, as it currently
sits alone in eighth place, one point clear of Coker. If AU and
Coker tie for eighth place, the Trojans would earn the tiebreaker
with the Black and Gold's 9-0 win over the Cobras on Sept. 20.
Despite ranking eighth in the league standings, Anderson has scored the sixth-most goals this season, as it has recorded 25 on the year, and ranks fourth in shots on goal with 117. Freshman Lyssa Engle continues to lead the squad in goals as she is tied for fourth in the SAC with nine, despite not scoring in AU's last seven matches. Engle led the Trojans in shots on Wednesday, posting an astounding 13 shots against the Fleet.
Sophomore Alaina Gay found herself as the hero on Wednesday, scoring Anderson's two goals in the shutout. With the goals, Gay has scored four times this season, tying her with freshman Maddie Volz for second on the team. Junior Faith Johannes ranks fourth on the team with three goals.
Sophomore goalkeeper Sadie Lancaster continues to the lead the SAC in minutes played, accumulating over 1,455 minutes between the posts. The Celina, Texas native became the sixth goalkeeper in the league to grab 60 saves on the year, while adding her third clean sheet of the campaign on Wednesday against the Fleet.
The Eagles
With a 3-13 overall record and a 1-9 mark in the SAC, Carson-Newman
will play its final match on Saturday, being mathematically
eliminated from the postseason. The Eagles enter Saturday's matchup
seeking their first win since Oct. 25 when they grabbed their first
conference victory over Mars Hill, 4-1. Since the triumph, C-N has
dropped its last four, headlined by an overtime loss at
Alabama-Huntsville on Wednesday.
The Eagles rank ninth in the SAC in goals scored as they are one of four teams in the conference that have scored under 20 goals this season. Junior Mikayla Gregg leads the team with four goals and nine points on the year, as she is the only Carson-Newman player with over 30 shots this season (33). Four other Eagles have scored twice on the year, as senior Maleya Garrison paces the club with 20 shots on goal.
The sophomore tandem of Katy Hill and Taylor Hammond have split time in the CN goal, as they each have started eight matches. Hammond edges Hill for the team-lead in saves with 35, compared to Hill's 34, as Hill holds a better goals-against average with a 2.18 mark.
The Series
Since joining the SAC before the 2010 season, Anderson holds a
2-1-1 record against Carson-Newman. The Trojans and Eagles played
to a 1-1 draw a season ago, as a goal from Raquel Pimentel in the
64th minute would eventually end AU's season, as it knocked the
Trojans out of postseason contention, landing them ninth in the
conference standings.
