GREENEVILLE, Tenn. — David Evans scored the first and last goals during a second-half scoring flurry as Tusculum University defeated Carson-Newman University 3-1 in South Atlantic Conference men’s soccer Wednesday night at Pioneer Field.
Playing on Senior Night, Evans collected his first career two-goal game as he scored in the 62nd and 71st minutes for the Pioneers (2-10-2, 2-7-2 SAC). Mason Clark added a goal in the 69th minute as the teams scored all of the goals in the match in a span of eight minutes, 58 seconds.
Daniel Vennesland scored for the Eagles (4-9-3, 3-7-1 SAC), who needed a victory over the Pioneers to earn a spot in the upcoming SAC Championship tournament. Carson-Newman outshot Tusculum 15-11, but played the last 5 1/2 minutes a man down as the teams combined for nine cards in the final 26 minutes.
Neither team had a shot attempt until the 21st minute, when the Pioneers’ Devin Vital hit the far post on a shot off a free kick. The Eagles did not have its first shot on goal until the 39th minute, when Maxime Wester was stopped by Tusculum keeper Sondre Liahagan Kolnes.
Kolnes made three saves in the first 11 minutes of the second half to keep the match scoreless, and Tusculum would break through in the 62nd minute. Back-to-back shots from the Pioneers’ Felix Triftshauser and Gui Busato were saves by Eagle keeper Federico Simonetti. Evans went to the end line to collect the rebound of Busato’s attempt and took a shot from a nearly-impossible angle that caromed off the leg of Simonetti and into the goal for a 1-0 Tusculum lead at 61:52.
The lead would be brief as the Eagles tied the match at 66:19, with a pass from Ben Dukes deflecting into the air to Vennesland, who chipped a shot past Kolnes for his second goal of the season.
Tusculum responded about 2 1/2 minutes later as a free kick from Lars Schutrups near midfield bounced into the box and was sent on a chip by Clark over Simonetti for his second of the season, giving the Pioneers a 2-1 lead at 68:44.
Evans would cap his memorable night by taking a pass through the middle from Clarenns Sainrimat and rolling a shot under Simonetti for his second of the match and third of the season at 70:50.
Kolnes, making his third start of the season and first since Sept. 18 against Lynn, was steady all night and finished with five saves for the Pioneers. Simonetti had three saves for the Eagles, all coming in the second half.
Both teams were awarded three corner kicks and flagged twice for offsides, and Tusculum was called for 17 fouls to 13 by Carson-Newman.
