JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. - Headlined by freshman Lyssa Engle's two goal performance, Anderson University women's soccer clinched a spot into next week's South Atlantic Conference Tournament with a 4-2 victory over Carson-Newman in its regular season finale Saturday evening at a chilly McCown Field.
With the victory, the Trojans end the 2014 regular season with a 7-9-1 overall record and a 4-6-1 mark in SAC play as they enter the postseason on a two-match winning streak. The triumph seals the No. 8 seed for the Trojans who will travel to the league's regular season champion on Tuesday. The Eagles end their season with a 3-14 record and a 1-10 mark for the conference.
With the conference schedule wrapping up on Sunday, the league office will announce the tournament seeding after all the matches are completed. With Lenoir-Rhyne's win on Saturday, it sealed the regular season conference championship and the No. 1 seed, as it will host Anderson on Tuesday. After missing the postseason a season ago, the Trojans will appear in the SAC Tournament for the third time in program history.
"This was one of our best performances of the year, and what a time to do it," Anderson head coach Ciaran Traquair said. "It's such an outstanding achievement to clinch the eighth spot and win on the road against a solid side."
With her two goals on the evening, Engle becomes the first Trojan to score double figures for the season since April Phillips in 2002 when she scored 13. The Fairborn, Ohio native got AU on the scoreboard quickly, as she fired a shot from the right corner and hit the right side of the net in the third minute of action.
Carson-Newman responded in a hurry in the 17th minute of action when Susann Kneifel tapped a pass to Mikayla Gregg off a free kick and Gregg notched her fifth goal of the season from 15 yards away. The goal was the first Anderson goalkeeper Sadie Lancaster has allowed in over 100 minutes of action.
Junior defender Faith Johannes handed the Trojans the lead back in the 24th minute when C-N was called for a handball in the Eagle box. After the penalty kick was awarded, Johannes knocked in her fourth goal of the season, beating Carson-Newman goalkeeper Katy Hill to her right. The score was AU's first penalty kick scored this season.
After taking the 2-1 lead into the halftime break, the Eagles evened the scoreline for the second time when Kneifel scored on a free kick right outside the Anderson box. For Kneifel, the equalizer was her first tally of the year.
Engle found the goal column once again in the 59th minute when she found a pass from Johannes and knocked in the eventual game-winner while being knocked to the ground in the process. With one match remaining in the conference, Engle is tied for fourth in the SAC with 11 goals on the year.
Sophomore Paige Gowans-Smith added an insurance goal in the 70th minute when she broke away from the Carson-Newman backline and scored when she found herself all alone in the Eagle box. The goal was the midfielder's first goal of her collegiate career.
The Trojans won the shot battle, 13-11, as Gowans-Smith led the way with four. Johannes tallied three shots, while Engle notched two shots. In goal, Lancaster recorded a match-high seven saves, while her counterparts in Katy Hill, who played the first half and Taylor Hammond, who ended the match, combined for three stops.
"We had so many great individual performances and when that happens, we are a match for anyone home or away," Traquair said. "I am very proud of this group of players, tonight."
Match time against the conference champion is yet to be determined as the Trojans look to avenge a regular season loss to the Bears earlier this year. The matchup will mark the second time AU will face LR in the conference tournament, and being eliminated by the Bears in 2011.
