FRIDAY’S SCORES
Southeast Missouri 3, @Murray State 2
@UT Martin 2, Eastern Illinois 1
@Morehead State 7, Eastern Kentucky 0
@Samford 5, Tennessee Tech 0
@Jacksonville State 3, Austin Peay 1
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 3, MURRAY STATE 2
MURRAY, Ky. - Sophomore forward Courtney Alexander tallied her second career hat trick in leading Southeast Missouri State soccer to a 3-2 win at Murray State in an Ohio Valley Conference battle this afternoon at Cutchin Field. The Redhawks improved their season record to 9-2-1 with the win, while the Racers dropped to 9-7 (4-3) on the year.
Alexander started the scoring in the 19th minute after receiving a pass from freshman forward Ashley Runion at the top of the 18-yard box and blasted a shot past Racer goalie Tara Isbell to the right corner for a 1-0 advantage that Southeast held throughout the first half into intermission.
The Redhawks increased their leading margin at 2-0 in the 57th minute on Alexander's second tally of the day when she went coast to coast for an unassisted goal. She scored her final goal on a 1v1 play in the 67th minute to put the visitors ahead by a three-goal advantage.
Murray State sliced its deficit to 3-1 in the 77th minute on a goal from freshman Katie Wilson with the assist going to senior Sara Struve. In the 80th minute, Wilson struck again with another goal off a pass from Laken Duress that brought the Racers to within a goal, but the Redhawks held on in the final 10 minutes for the win.
The shooting advantage was deadlocked as both teams recorded 12 shots, while Murray State held a 6-2 leading margin in corner kicks and Southeast posted a 6-3 lead in saves.
Alexander and senior forward Alaina Lacopo each recorded a match-best four shot attempts to lead the Redhawks, while senior goalkeeper Lindsay Pickering posted five saves in 73 scoreless minutes.
Wilson finished the match with three shot attempts, all on goal, while Isbell produced three saves in goal for the Racers.
UT MARTIN 2, EASTERN ILLINOIS 1
MARTIN, Tenn. ? UT Martin had never defeated Eastern Illinois in 11 previous attempts, but Sophie Cox's 95th minute golden-goal changed all that and gave the Skyhawks a 2-1 victory Friday afternoon. The win improves the UT Martin record to 9-4-2 and 4-1-2 in Ohio Valley Conference play while Eastern Illinois falls to 6-7-1 on the season and 3-3-0 in conference play.
In the overtime period, Katie Behrens first had a shot at netting the golden-goal. She pushed passed her defender firing a shot from the left side across the box that sailed just inches above the top right corner of the goal. Only two minutes later, Cox found herself 25-yards out from goal, but wide open. She quickly fired a shot that made its way through the Eastern Illinois defense and past Jenny Williams who was in goal. The golden-goal was the first of Cox's career and her third game-winner of the season.
The Skyhawks' first goal of the day came in the 35th minute after Behrens earned a penalty kick. Behrens broke through the defensive front and was taken down from behind, while inside the box, by Eastern Illinois' Caitlyn Eisenhauer. Stephanie Nilica was called upon to take the penalty kick and netted it to record her first career goal. Nilica's goal also broke a scoring drought for the Skyhawks against Eastern Illinois. Prior to her goal, the Skyhawks had not scored against the Panthers since Oct. 21, 2004 in a 3-1 loss.
Eastern Illinois evened the game in the second half, during the 60th minute, off the foot of Sarah Rusk. She collected a rebound that trickled out near the top of the box and was able to score the goal past UT Martin's Johanna Rathbun. The equalizing goal ended a 264 minute scoreless streak for Rathbun and the Skyhawks that extended back to the match against Morehead State on Oct. 7.
With the win, Rathbun's record in goal improves to 8-2-2 on the year. She also collected a season and career high eight saves in the win.
MOREHEAD STATE 7, EASTERN KENTUCKY 0
MOREHEAD, Ky. - Senior forward Rebekah Kendall posted three goals and tied her own record of 13 shots in a match as Morehead State went on to defeat Eastern Kentucky 7-0 Friday night. Kendall is now one goal short of the MSU career goals record held by Christina Moore. Sophomore Bethany Davidson posted her first career goals in the match as well, netting two.
Morehead State got on the board in the 21st minute when Kimmie Beiting netted a forward pass from Miko Alley. The Eagles went into intermission leading 1-0.
In the first seven minutes of the second half the Eagle offense came alive. Kendall posted her first goal of the match at the 47:09 mark on an assist by Davidson. The pair reversed roles 21 seconds later when Davidson netted a goal on a pass from Kendall. Davidson scored off another Kendall cross at the 53:30 mark for her second goal of the match.
Freshman Erin Adams posted her fifth goal of the season in the 66th minute off a cross from Bridget Gomillion to give the Eagles a 5-0 lead.
Kendall posted two more goals in the 68th and 71st minute to round out the MSU barrage. Kendall’s final goal of the match came off a pass from sister and fellow senior Rachel Kendall.
MSU goalkeeper Leslie King finished the match with six saves and posted her 18th career shutout. She is now just four saves shy of setting a new MSU career saves record.
Colonel goalkeeper Stephanie Lynch posted six saves in the match. EKU was led in shooting by Carly Muller with three.
SAMFORD 5, TENNESSEE TECH 0
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -The Samford University soccer team achieved its second-longest winning streak in school history Friday as the Bulldogs earned their seventh-straight victory at home against the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles 5-0.
Samford’s longest winning streak is eight and was recorded during the first eight matches of the 2002 campaign. That season was head coach Todd Yelton’s first at the helm of the Bulldogs’ soccer program.
With the win, Samford (11-3, 6-0 Ohio Valley Conference) remained undefeated in conference play and picked up its largest margin of victory since 2003. The Bulldogs’ explosive 5-0 win was its biggest since a 6-0 triumph against Belmont in the opening match of the 2003 campaign.
Samford received goals from five different players.
Amber Cress and Hilary Samuels both scored goals in the opening half of play, while Melissa Miller, Heather Birdsell and Kat Sweatt tallied scores in the final period. The Bulldogs recorded three goals in a six-minute span to put the match away early in the second half.
Defensively, junior goalkeeper Cayley Winters and sophomore goalkeeper Jenna Sturgill combined for Samford’s seventh shutout of the 2007 season. The pair has combined to save five of the Bulldogs’ seven shutouts this year.
So far this season, Samford has outscored its opponents 32-11.
With the loss, Tennessee Tech (2-9-3, 1-4-1 OVC) had its winless streak extended to five-straight matches. The Golden Eagles have not been victorious since a 3-1 home win against Austin Peay on Sept. 28.
Samford will square off against Austin Peay at 2 p.m., on Sunday.
Tennessee Tech’s goalkeeper Loretta McNamee was the player of the match. The Golden Eagles’ senior from Fairfax Station, Va., finished with 12 saves.
The Bulldogs jumped out to an early 1-0 lead Friday as Cress scored her fifth goal of the season during the 24th minute of play.
Cress, the reigning OVC offensive player of the week, has tallied three goals in the previous two matches and increased her career total to 10. On her unassisted score, Cress angled a shot neatly past McNamee into the right corner of the net.
Samford’s second goal was scored by Samuels with only 1:21 remaining until halftime. It was her third of the 2007 campaign and the goal was assisted by Cassie Applegate and Cress.
The Bulldogs quickly extended their lead to 4-0 early in the second half with back-to-back goals from Miller and Birdsell.
Miller’s first collegiate goal occurred during the 47th minute and was assisted by Samuels. On the play, Miller gathered a centering pass and rifled a 20-yard shot high into the right corner of the net.
Samford’s fourth goal, which was scored by three-time All-OVC performer Birdsell, came at exactly 49:35 and was also assisted by Samuels. The goal was Birdsell’s third of the season and the 18th of her illustrious four-year career. With the score, she moved into sole possession of fifth place on Samford’s all-time goals scored list.
The Bulldogs’ fifth goal was tacked on by Kat Sweatt during the 86th minute. The score was assisted by Lauren Cook, her third helper of the 2007 season.
Samford outshot Tennessee Tech 25-5 and racked up 11 corner kicks compared to two.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 3, AUSTIN PEAY 1
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - Jacksonville State (4-9-1, 2-3-1) scored three times in the second half Friday night and senior Courtney Moore scored her third career game-winning goal en route to a 3-1 win over Austin Peay on Senior Night.
Moore, who was honored prior to the start of the game along with fellow seniors Elizabeth Selasky and Jessica Scerbo, scored the game-winner in the 78th minute when she sliced through the APSU defense on the left side, eventually beating the goalkeeper to the top left.
Selasky finished with six saves to earn the win in net and help JSU keep pace in the race to qualify for the OVC Tournament. JSU sits just two points out of fifth place with three matches to play.
After a scoreless first half, JSU's Sarah McAulay broke the stalemate in the 53rd minute to give the Gamecocks its first lead. McAulay ran down a crossing pass from Debbie Matich and finished from 20 yards out.
The lead didn't last long though, as the Lady Govs answered in the 60th minute to tie the match at 1-1. JSU was whistled for a foul in the center of the field, 20 yards out and APSU's Tyler Adair converted the free kick into the equalizing goal.
Kim Kimmel sealed the victory in the closing seconds when her shot deflected off the keeper's hands and into the net for the final 3-1 margin.