JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. --- Two first-half goals allowed the Tusculum University women's soccer team to defeat 12th-ranked Carson-Newman University 2-1 in South Atlantic Conference women's soccer action Wednesday night at McCown Field.
Yvette Raaijen and Kate Guildford scored for the Pioneers (5-4-1, 3-2-0 SAC), who were outshot 18-4 by the defending national runner-up but held on for the victory over the Eagles (6-3-0, 4-1-0 SAC), who played most of the match a man down following an early red card. Magda Mosengo scored late to spoil the shutout attempt by Pioneer freshman keeper Bailey Bosler, who finished with six saves in the match.
The win by the Pioneers snapped a pair of long streaks in conference matches for the Eagles. Carson-Newman was unbeaten in its last 18 SAC regular-season matches (16-0-2) since a 1-0 loss in overtime at Wingate on Oct. 15, 2016, and had been 16-0-1 in SAC regular-season home matches since the start of the 2015 season.
Tusculum, which defeated 23rd-ranked Nova Southeastern 3-2 in the season opener on August 31, has beaten two ranked opponents in the same season for the first time since 2006 when the Pioneers beat third-ranked Carson-Newman 3-2 in the regular season and the fourth-ranked Eagles 1-0 in double overtime in the NCAA Southeast Region finals.
The Pioneers caught a break at the 10th minute when Eagles All-Region goalkeeper Jackie Burns was sent off with a red card after a foul in the box in a 1v1 situation resulted in a penalty kick. Raaijen stepped up against new Carson-Newman keeper Jessica Fraiture and drilled her first career goal for a 1-0 Pioneer lead at 9:52.
Carson-Newman nearly tied the game in the 12th minute off a corner kick, but Brooke Radcliffe headed away a shot by Mosengo to keep the score 1-0 Pioneers. The Eagles had several shot attempts in the 30th and 31st minutes, but all three attempts were blocked by the defense.
The Pioneers caught a break in the 37th minute to take a 2-0 lead as a free kick was misplayed by Fraiture, bouncing over her head and then kicked by Guildford into the empty goal at 36:16 for the second goal of the season by Guildford.
Carson-Newman nearly got on the board late in the first half, but a shot by Alex Brandan with just over three minutes left caromed off the crossbar. Tusculum was outshot 8-2 in the first half, but held the 2-0 lead on the scoreboard at intermission.
With under 30 minutes left, the Eagles turned up the pressure on the Pioneer defense as Bosler made a save on Kennedy Rankin and a shot by Mosengo rang off the crossbar. Bosler came up with two more saves on Mosengo and Brandan to keep the Pioneers ahead 2-0 with under 29 minutes to play.
Mosengo finally got the Eagles on the board in the 86th minute as she took a cross from Jente Kuper, turned and beat Bosler for her 10th goal of the season with 4:15 left. However, it would be the last shot for either team as the Pioneers were able to run out the clock.
Carson-Newman finished the match with six corner kicks to one for Tusculum, and also was whistled for 15 fouls while the Pioneers were called 11 times. Fraiture was credited with one save in relief of Burns in goal for the Eagles.
Tusculum will return home Saturday to face Newberry in a SAC match beginning at 2 p.m. at Pioneer Field.
