C-N battles Lincoln Memorial to scoreless tie
October 15, 2025

C-N battles Lincoln Memorial to scoreless tie

Berna Kabakci made six saves to help Carson-Newman (6-3-2, 2-2-2 SAC) battle Lincoln Memorial (5-4-3, 1-3-2 SAC) to a scoreless draw Wednesday evening in Harrogate, Tennessee.

Box Score (PDF)

HARROGATE, Tenn. – Berna Kabakci made six saves to help Carson-Newman (6-3-2, 2-2-2 SAC) battle Lincoln Memorial (5-4-3, 1-3-2 SAC) to a scoreless draw Wednesday evening in Harrogate, Tennessee.

"Not our best game, but glad we managed to get a point on the road," Carson-Newman head coach Simon Duffy said. "We need to approach the game on Saturday with more intensity and quality. We lacked that at times in this game."

Securing one point on the road does extend a pair of streaks for C-N. The Eagles are now unbeaten in five straight matchups, extending the longest this season and since 2022. Four of the five matches during this stretch have also come in SAC play, extending an unbeaten streak in league games to four, the longest since 2023.

The scoreless tie is just the third under Duffy. Two of those three have now come in the past two years. It's just the second-ever scoreless tie between C-N and LMU and just the fourth-ever tie in a series with 35 meetings.

The first opportunities from either side didn't come until the 8th and 9th minutes. Carson-Newman earned a pair of corner kicks but was held without a shot in those two chances.

Despite some good developing possession, it wasn't until the 13th minute that the Eagles were able to get their first shots of the match. Selina Jud (Wilderswil, Switzerland) had a shot blocked, and shortly later Audrey Gallagher (Knoxville, Tenn.) had a shot toward the center of goal saved by LMU goalie Emma Cooke.

Lincoln Memorial's first opportunity of the match came in a 1v1. Viktoria Filsner fired a near-sided shot that was saved by C-N goalie Berna Kabakci (Zeddam, Netherlands).

Kabakci was called upon for a second save in the 29th minute. LMU's third corner kick of the first half was headed by Donna Van Der Zalm but Kabakci kept the header out of the net.

After the Eagles attempted the first two shots of the match, the Railsplitters would take the next seven of the opening half. Two required Kabakci saves and the other five missed target.

Carson-Newman became the fifth straight team to keep LMU scoreless in an opening half.

The Eagles would take the first two shots in the second half. Gallagher took aim at goal for a second time and saw Cooke make another stop in the 49th minute. Four minutes later, Molly Bukiewicz (Beavercreek, Ohio) missed wide left.

Lincoln Memorial had a great scoring chance in the 63rd minute. After a Carson-Newman turnover, a pass set up Astrid Palmblad for a shot from the top of the box, that forced Kabakci into a leaping save to keep the match scoreless.

The Railsplitters would go on to attempt the next five shots in the match, but only the shot in the 63rd minute hit the target.

Carson-Newman's last shot was on target from Elly Leander (Clinton, Tenn.) in the 79th minute. Cooke made the stop on the shot toward the center of goal.

LMU was the team that had the best chance to find a game-winning goal in the final minutes. Filsner had a pair of opportunities in the 87th and 89th minutes, but Kabakci was clutch to make saves on both.

Kabakci was ready one last time with less than a minute to play. Astrid Palmblad attempted a free kick from just outside the box, and Kabakci made a diving effort to her left to end the match in a scoreless tie.

The junior goalkeeper made six saves in her fifth clean sheet of the year. Her six saves are the most she has made in a shutout this season. It's the second consecutive shutout by C-N this season, the second time it has achieved that in 2025.

Lincoln Memorial became just the second team to outshoot C-N in a game this season. The Railsplitters held a 15-5 advantage on shots and doubled up the Eagles on shots toward goal 6-3. LMU's 15 shots are the second-most Carson-Newman has allowed an opponent to take this season. Furthermore, those 15 shots by the opponent are the most in a Carson-Newman clean sheet since seeing Wingate misfire on 25 shots in a 1-0 Eagles shutout win on September 18, 2021.

Corner kicks were even, with each side getting five in the match.

Carson-Newman closes the week with Saturday night showdown with RV Lenoir-Rhyne. First touch from McCown Field is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network is available with a subscription to FloSports at cneagles.com/floWsoc.

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