Sindre Welo changed positions prior to the start of the season. What hasn’t changed is how effective he has been on the field for Carson-Newman.
Welo has scored 27 goals in his career, including eight this year, and his efforts have helped the Eagles clinch a share of the South Atlantic title for the first time since 2010 and the ninth championship overall. In fact, it was his goal off a penalty kick in a 1-0 win over Coker Saturday that secured the title.
“First of all I made the transition from midfield to defense prior to this season,” Welo said. “I think the position suits me better than the previous years where I was playing in the midfield. I have worked on communication, mental training and positioning.”
Welo has had quite a career for the Eagles, scoring 19 goals in his first three seasons. He hasn’t missed a beat this year either and helped the Eagles go 14-2-1 in the regular season. They finished 9-2 in conference play and head into the postseason riding an eight-game win streak. They have come a long way from a year ago when they won only eight games.
“We have played some really good football this season, which has led to some quality results,” Welo said. “We have been able to overcome adversity and peak at the right time of the season.”
Welo said hard work and staying humble has been vital to the team’s success as well.
“The key to the team’s success comes from having a humble group of lads that work hard every day,” Welo said. “Every member of the team is working in the same direction and this attitude has led us to win some really close games. We have seen some top performances and hopefully there are many more to come.”
Welo, a native of Norway who also played hockey and soccer while in high school, has enjoyed his experience at Carson-Newman and wants to do what he can to keep the season going for the Eagles.
“The season so far has been everything I could hope for in my senior year,” Welo said. “Being abe to win the South Atlantic Conference regular season was our main goal. Now, we move our attention to the SAC tournament and hopefully a national tournament.”
No matter how it all plays out, Welo is thankful for the opportunities he has been given.
“I have had a great experience at Carson-Newman and have nothing but good things to say about the program,” Welo said. “I have been fortunate to be a member of great teams and have met some great people. The program keeps improving every year, and it has been really exciting to be a part of it.”
