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Eagles top Bobcats 2-0

Sept. 10, 2012. GREENEVILLE, Tenn. — The Carson-Newman College men’s soccer team scored twice in the first half, and held on the second period for a 2-0 win over Lees-McRae College on the final day of the Stanno Tournament, hosted by Tusculum College.

Carson-Newman (2-2) outshot Lees-McRae (1-3) by a 15-10 margin on the afternoon, including a 9-6 advantage in the second half, while edging the Bobcats 4-3 on corner kick opportunities. James Smith (Eastbourne, England) and James Galvani (High Wycombe, England) each took four attempts at goal to pace the Bobcats, as Thomas Rusling (Sheffield, England) made six saves while playing the full 90 minutes.

Taylor Jolley and Matheus Bachi each found the back of the net for the Eagles, while Matt Craine tallied an assist and Rumwald Le Gueval kept a clean sheet with three saves. Jolley paced the Eagles with four attempts at goal.

Carson-Newman notched the breakthrough less than 10 minutes into the match, taking an early 1-0 lead when Bachi converted an opportunity from the penalty spot after a foul call in the Bobcat area. Jolley nearly doubled the advantage five minutes later, sending an effort toward goal that was pulled off the line by a Bobcat defender.

The Bobcats continued to counter and push forward in search of an equalizer, nearly succeeding when Galvani’s headed effort was denied by a brilliant Le Gueval save in the 34th minute.

Carson-Newman would double the advantage in the early moments of the 43rd minute, when Craine found Jolley 15 yards from goal for the finish to the far post and a 2-0 Eagle advantage heading into the interval.

The Eagles carried the momentum into the second half, forcing an early save from Rusling in the 51st minute and nearly pushing the advantage to three in the 54th when Rurik Pereira’s effort was blocked by a defender. Smith almost swept away the clean sheet with a pair of tremendous chances in the 68th and 74th minutes, forcing Le Gueval to make a pair of saves to keep the Bobcats off the score sheet.

Lees-McRae returns to the pitch on Wednesday when the Bobcats travel to Mars Hill, N.C. to take on Mars Hill College at 7 p.m.