October 18, 2025

Early Lenoir-Rhyne goals help lead to a 3-0 win over C-N

For the second time in conference play this season, Carson-Newman (1-7-3, 1-4-1 SAC) fell behind early because of a pair of goals and never recovered, falling to Lenoir-Rhyne (5-4-2, 4-2-2 SAC) 3-0 on Saturday evening at McCown Field.

Lenoir-Rhyne

5-4-2, 4-2-2

Carson-Newman

1-7-3, 1-4-1

Final	1	2	T
Lenoir-Rhyne (5-4-2, 4-2-2)	2	1	3
Carson-Newman (1-7-3, 1-4-1)	0	0	0

VIDEO: Stephen Lyons Interview

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – For the second time in conference play this season, Carson-Newman (1-7-3, 1-4-1 SAC) fell behind early because of a pair of goals and never recovered, falling to Lenoir-Rhyne (5-4-2, 4-2-2 SAC) 3-0 on Saturday evening at McCown Field.

"We made some mistakes around the field that good teams punish you with," Carson-Newman head coach Stephen Lyons. "I thought we started positively in the second half but didn't create that opening to get on the scoresheet and try to turn the game around."

Blanking C-N, Lenoir-Rhyne has now posted four consecutive clean sheets for the first time since 2007.

Lenoir-Rhyne took the first corner kick in the 5th minute, but it was Carson-Newman attempting the first shot a minute later. After a cross into the box, Jonas Friedl fired a shot toward the bottom right forcing LR goalkeeper Tomas Fontes to make his first save.

LR's first shot attempt was its first goal. Daniel Martinez flicked a ball for Hector Taboada to chase after in front of the penalty area. Taboada beat C-N goalie Elijah Buford to the spot and slotted a left-footed shot into an open goal to make it 1-0 Bears in the 10th minute.

Roughly 80 seconds later, Taboada would strike for a second time. Martinez sent a ground pass through the Eagles defense. Taboada timed his run and sprinted after the ball, and eventually scoring in a 1v1 with Buford to make it 2-0 LR.

Carson-Newman would have its chances to trim into the first-half deficit. Tim Haans sent a shot toward the bottom left of the net, forcing Fontes into a diving stop in the 23rd minute.

That attempt would be C-N's last on target in the opening half. Ben Dukes and Rhydian Williams fired shots in the 25th and 34th minutes but both missed the target. The Bears were held without a shot for the final 15 minutes and took a 2-0 lead into the locker room.

Buford made his first save of the match just three minutes into the second half, stopping Aaron Garrote's shot at the center of goal.

After that early LR shot, the Eagles would seem to flip a little momentum and possession and it resulted in some chances. 50 seconds apart, Haans and Dukes missed wide right in the 54th and 55th minutes.

Despite the switch in possession between halves, the eagles would go the next 27 minutes of the half without a shot. LR forward Oskar Dahlberg took the game's only shots between the 55th and 77th minutes, and the latter of his attempts led to LR's third and final goal. Dahlberg's near-sided shot made Buford come toward the outside of the six-yard box to save, leaving the net open. The saved shot went out toward the top of the box where Taboada completed the hat trick by slotting a shot between two C-N defenders who were trying to protect an empty net in the 77th minute.

Carson-Newman's last three shots were all pretty good opportunities in the final eight minutes. Antoine Torrent let a right-footed shot rip from outside the box, forcing Fontes into another stop.

Dan Coles headed a cross toward Fontes, but saw the keeper make the stop in the 86th minute.

Haans fired the last shot of the match, missing high in the 89th minute.

The two sides attempted ten shots each, with LR scoring on three of its five on target. C-N did not score on its four shots on goal.

Besides the score, other statistical areas of the match were also even. Both teams committed 13 fouls each, and C-N had an extra corner than LR.

Carson-Newman is back in action on Wednesday night at Lincoln Memorial. First touch is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. in Harrogate.