JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. --- Thibault Mathorez scored the winning goal with 2:16 left in double overtime as Carson-Newman University upset 7th-ranked Tusculum College 2-1 in South Atlantic Conference men's soccer action Wednesday night.
Mathorez converted a free kick from Tom Read to lift the Eagles (7-7-0, 3-5-0 SAC) to the win over the previously-unbeaten Pioneers (12-1-0, 7-1-0 SAC), who saw their school-record 12-match winning streak come to an end on the day they were unveiled as the number-one team in the NCAA Southeast Region rankings.
Both teams scored in the first half, then played through a scoreless second half and first overtime before the Eagles were awarded a free kick from the right side with less than three minutes to play. Read's service was knocked home by Mathorez for his second goal of the season and the victory for the Eagles.
Each team finished with 17 shots in the match, but Carson-Newman keeper Joe Boyd made nine of his 10 saves after halftime to keep the score deadlocked. Tusculum keeper Ashley Elsey made his first start of the season and finished with four saves for the Pioneers.
The Pioneers did not allow a shot in the first 18 minutes, and took a 1-0 lead at 20:15 as Andre De Giorgi took a half-field pass from Georgios Charkoutsakis and scored his 12th goal of the season. The lead held through a brief flurry of shots from the Eagles, but Carson-Newman knotted the score at 32:48 as Marius Staalby scored his second goal of the year off a an assist from Read.
Tusculum had a steady attack in the second half, putting four shots on goal in the first 12 minutes including three off the foot of Isai Hernandez. However, Boyd was equal to each attempt to keep the score deadlocked at 1-1. Hernandez had two more shots in the final three minutes of regulation, but Boyd stopped one attempt and the other went wide just before the final horn.
The Pioneers had the early pressure in overtime, with shots by Pau Peiro and De Giorgi being stopped by Boyd. Carson-Newman's lone shot attempt came late in the first extra period but sailed wide of the goal with less than 30 seconds remaining. The second extra period went in the favor of Carson-Newman, with the only shot prior to the goal coming from Read with just under seven minutes left.
Carson-Newman had the advantage in corner kicks by a 5-3 margin, while Tusculum was whistled for 19 fouls to 11 by the Eagles, including all four in the overtime periods. Each team was also flagged twice for offsides.
Tusculum will look to bounce back Sunday afternoon when Catawba visits Pioneer Field for the final regular-season home game, beginning at 3:30 p.m.
