Carson-Newman, Lenoir-Rhyne Advance to Finals of Food Lion SAC Men’s Soccer Tournament

JEFFERSON CITY, TN -- Top-seeded Carson-Newman and second-seeded Lenoir-Rhyne advanced to the finals of the 2006 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Men's Soccer Tournament on Friday.

Carson-Newman and Lenoir-Rhyne will face for the tournament championship on Sunday at Carson-Newman College. Game time is 2 p.m.

Carson-Newman 2, Catawba 0

Omar Cooke and Dario Carrasco scored goals in the first half as the Carson-Newman Eagles defeated Catawba, 2-0 to advance to the championship game of the 2006 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference tournament.

Carson-Newman (14-0-2) overcame soggy conditions at McCown Field to take an early lead. Cooke fired a loose ball past Indian goalie Tyler Held for a 1-0 lead. The game became a physical match as both teams were hit with yellow cards. Kyle Ganov was tagged with a yellow card in the 43rd minute which allowed Dario Carrasco a penalty kick. Carrasco kicked the ball into the far post to give the Eagles a two-goal advantage. Tyler Baldock earned the win in goal to post his 10th shutout of the season. Nathan Zuzga and Ryan Villiard had two shots on goal apiece for Catawba.

Lenoir-Rhyne 3, Wingate 0

JEFFERSON CITY, TN-Gary Higgins scored two goals as Lenoir-Rhyne defeated Wingate, 3-0 in the semifinals of the 2006 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference tournament.
After a scoreless first half, the Bears scored in a little more than a minute into the second half when Wesley Spurr sprinted down the right side and flicked a shot past Wingate keeper Jonathan Shute for a 1-0 L-R lead. In the 63rd minute, Higgins was fouled inside the box and converted the penalty kick for a two-goal L-R advantage. Higgins sealed the Bears victory with an unassisted goal in the 67th minute. L-R's Mark Jorgensen earned the shutout in goal, saving one shot.