GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Three goals in a span of 15 minutes helped Carson-Newman to a 3-0 victory over Tusculum University in South Atlantic Conference men's soccer action Monday afternoon at Pioneer Field.
Harrison Collins, Harry Whitehead and Thaylan Silva scored for the Eagles (5-1-1, 4-1-0 SAC), who scored their goals in the 41st, 48th and 56th minutes. Carson-Newman outshot Tusculum 16-11 in earning their second 3-0 win over the Pioneers (1-4-1, 0-4-1 SAC) in a span of four days.
Tusculum had the first shot just over two minutes into the first half, but a header from Andre Adrien was stopped by Carson-Newman keeper Bram Kaarsgaren. The Eagles took their first shot in the fourth minute, but a blast from the top of the box by Whitehead was corraled by Pioneer keeper Joao Kozlowski.
Kaarsgaren earned another save on Damien Baltide in the fifth minute while Kozlowski stopped Silva on a free kick from 20 yards in the 11th minute. The Eagles' Theo Hardenby Ohrwall nearly collected the first goal of the match, but his blast from 20 yards moments after Silva's strike caught the crossbar and dropped down on the field side of the goal line.
Carson-Newman kept the pressure, forcing Kozlowski to get a hand on a shot by Nic Carsh in the 18th minute along with saves on Whitehead in the 19th minute and Silva in the 22nd minute. Tusculum's Baltide missed a free kick from 25 yards in the 35th minute and had a shot deflect wide in the 39th minute.
The Eagles finally broke through at 40:56 as Matheus Maia played a ball down the right side for Benjamin Stein, who crossed to Collins for his first goal of the season and a 1-0 Carson-Newman lead going to the half.
Carson-Newman needed just 2:02 of the second half to make it 2-0 as a free kick from Ohrwall from the far left side went to the head of Whitehead, who put home his third of the season. Nearly nine minutes later, the Eagles went up 3-0 as a pass from Carsh on the left side went to Ben King in the middle, who sent it along to Silva for his second of the year at 55:47.
Whitehead had two chances in the latter stages of the second half, but Kozlowski smothered his try from the right side in the 73rd minute and then made a nifty stop on an attempted redirection from in front in the 75th minute. Tusculum's Ignacio Alconchel, who subbed on for the first time this season in the first half, had three shots on goal in the second half but was denied each time by Kaarsgaren.
The match was a physical affair, with a total of 11 cards issued and 33 total fouls whistled. Carson-Newman had a 7-6 edge in corner kicks, while the Eagles were flagged twice for offsides.
Kaarsgaren finished with six saves in the shutout win for Carson-Newman, while Kozlowski made a season-high eight saves in goal for Tusculum.
The Pioneers will conclude their spring season when they host Lincoln Memorial on Thursday at 5 p.m. at Pioneer Field.
