FRIDAY’S SCORES
@Murray State 2, Jacksonville State 1 (OT)
@Eastern Kentucky 2, SIUE 1
@Morehead State 1, Eastern Illinois 1
@Belmont 0, Southeast Missouri 0
@Austin Peay 2, Tennessee Tech 0
MURRAY STATE 2, JACKSONVILLE STATE 1
MURRAY, Ky. - Veronika Pribyslavska fired in a goal from less than 10 yards out with just over a minute remaining in the first overtime to give the Racers a thrilling 2-1 victory over Jacksonville State at Cutchin Field.
The goal was Pribyslavska’s seventh of the season and third game-winning goal of 2012. The goal was made possible after a Julie Mooney shot was saved by the JSU goalkeeper and bounced back to Pribyslavska, who then drove in and slipped the ball by the goalie for the score.
The Racers (4-10, 2-5 OVC) bounced back in the overtime frame after the Gamecocks (10-5-2, 3-3-1 OVC) tied the score at 1-1 in the 86th minute to force the extra period.
After a scoreless first half, Murray State took the lead in the 49th minute off of a Megg Hudson header. Mooney sent a nice pass in to Rachel Foxley along the end line and Foxley set up Hudson with a beautiful pass into the box for the goal. The goal was Hudson’s third of the year.
The Racers were aggressive right from kickoff and kept attacking, never allowing JSU to get comfortable. MSU recorded a season-high 29 shots in the contest, as well as a season-best 15 shots on goal. The Racers also held a 7-to-3 advantage on corner kicks in the win.
Latesha Stevenson picked up the win in net for the Racers and recorded two saves. Mooney had a great offensive day for MSU, leading the team with 15 shots, including nine on goal and recording two assists. All three were career-bests for her. Pribyslavska also was aggressive all game, registering seven shots and five on goal.
Jenelle Cunningham and Bronagh Kerins also had two shots for MSU, while Foxley, Hudson and Taylor Stevens recorded one shot each.
It was JSU in attack mode late in the contest, looking for the equalizing goal. That goal came in the 87th minute off the foot of freshman Kelsey Bright. Bright scored her seventh goal of the season after a solid corner kick from Katie Manns.
Jacksonville State's Katelyn Geddings turned in 13 saves in the contest.
EASTERN KENTUCKY 2, SIUE 1
RICHMOND, Ky. - The Eastern Kentucky University soccer team fell behind early, but rallied to beat Ohio Valley Conference opponent SIUE, 2-1, on Friday afternoon at EKU Soccer Field. With the win, the Colonels maintained their perfect home record (7-0-1). The seven home wins are the most in program history.
EKU dropped two games on the road last weekend, but bounced back on Friday to improve to 8-6-2 (4-2-1 OVC) and remain near the top of the OVC standings. SIUE, which came into the weekend in second-place in the OVC, fell to 7-6-2 (4-3-1 OVC).
Statistically, SIUE also came into the weekend boasting the league’s best defense, as the Cougars had not allowed a goal in four straight conference matches. However, EKU ended that streak early in the first half. After Kristen Daily scored just two minutes into the game to give SIUE an quick advantage, senior Hayley Wright responded eight minutes later with a goal of her own to knot the score. It was Wright’s first-career goal. A pair of freshmen, Amani Thomas and Mikala Ferguson, were credited with an assist on the score.
In the 19th minute, junior Lauren Fant delivered the game-winner, coming forward to score off a corner kick from sophomore Emily D’Italia. It was Fant’s third goal of the season, and all three have been off the foot of D’Italia. It was D’Italia’s school-record fourth assist of the fall.
SIUE attempted four more shots than EKU in the second half, but could not convert, as the Colonels held on for a crucial conference victory heading into the regular season homestretch.
Fant, D’Italia, senior Deja Tennon and sophomore Paige Larkin played all 90 minutes of the game on EKU’s backline, while junior Brittany Nomady went the distance in the midfield, firing a team-high two shots during the match.
Freshman goalkeeper Sam Melton made her first start since October 7 against Tennessee Tech and made four saves to earn the win.
MORHEEAD STATE 1, EASTERN ILLINOIS 1
MOREHEAD, Ky. - After a pair of overtime periods, the Morehead State soccer team drew a 1-1 tie with the visiting Panthers of Eastern Illinois at Jayne Stadium on Friday evening.
The draw put the Eagles’ record at 1-11-3 overall and 1-4-2 in Ohio Valley Conference play, while the Panthers sit at 5-11-1 and 3-4-1 in league action.
Senior Samantha Toepfer led the Eagles with one goal, while sophomores Macy Cobb and Holly Tilley managed three shots each. Freshman Elizabeth Floyd made two saves in goal.
After 45 scoreless minutes of soccer in the first half, MSU owned the edge in shots, 3-1, and corner kicks, 2-1.
The second half, though, proved to be much more eventful as EIU senior Kristin Germann notched the first goal of the match. Germann’s goal off a header was her team-leading sixth of 2012.
It only took the Eagles six minutes to respond when Toepfer found herself with the ball about 10 yards from goal. Toepfer took a touch and drilled the ball past the Panther keeper for the equalizer and her first goal of the season.
Both teams exchanged chances for the remainder of regulation, as well as both overtime periods, but neither could net a match-winner.
BELMONT 0, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 0
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - After a contest packed with back and forth action, the Belmont women's soccer team (7-6-2, 3-2-2 OVC) was forced to settle for a double overtime draw with visiting Southeast Missouri State (4-9-4, 3-3-2 OVC) on Friday night at Rose Park. Neither team was able to find the back of the net in the matchup, battling to a 0-0 tie.
From the opening whistle, the teams battled for time of possession and ball control. The Bruins appeared to have a firm hold on the tempo of the matchup but were unable to find the back of the net, despite tallying seven shots in the stanza.
In the second half, the squads again fired an equal number of shots but because of stellar work by the goalkeepers nothing was able to get past them.
SEMO ramped up its intensity in the extra periods but junior Nicole Berner (Randolph, N.J.) shined between the posts, notching one save with the help of the Bruin defensive line.
Sophomore Allie Hicks (Carmel, Ind.), senior Lauren Paynter (Danville, Ky.), senior Kailee Hawkins (Raleigh, N.C.), and junior Katie Proud (Knoxville, Tenn.) each tallied two shots on the night.
Berner went the distance between the posts, finishing with six saves.
Southeast Missouri's Renee Kertz reacorded seven saves and lowered her goals against average to 0.83 (0.62 in OVC play).
Belmont held the advantage in corner kicks, 7-4, while SEMO held the narrow advantage in shots, 16-15.
AUSTIN PEAY 2, TENNESSEE TECH 0
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - A two-goal effort from junior Tatiana Ariza and timely goalkeeping by junior Haylee Shoaff propelled Austin Peay State University women's soccer team to a 2-0 victory against Tennessee Tech in Ohio Valley Conference action, Friday, at Morgan Brothers Field.
The Lady Govs (8-7-1, 4-2-1 OVC) helped themselves in the standings, along with getting some help from elsewhere in the conference. In addition to the Lady Govs win against Tennessee Tech (4-10-1, 2-5-0 OVC), Eastern Kentucky defeated SIU Edwardsville, Belmont and Southeast Missouri played to a scoreless draw and Murray State defeated Jacksonville State to vault Austin Peay into a tie for second place with Eastern Kentucky.
After a scoreless first half, Austin Peay netted two quick goals to start the second stanza. On a Lady Govs corner kick, Ariza snuck behind the defense and headed home a cross from junior Corey Osborn for her season's ninth goal. For the second time in as many home matches, the Lady Govs scored a goal short a player after Morgan Zigelsky was sidelined for a moment following injury and Austin Peay elected to play on a player down.
Tennessee Tech nearly answered two minutes later, slipping a shot past Shoaff for an apparent goal. Fortunately, a Golden Eagle was ruled offside and the goal was disallowed.
In the 55th minute, junior Andy Quiceno found Ariza with a pass, and the Colombian Olympian embarked on a winding drive to the net, bouncing off defenders and hurdling would-be tacklers before slipping a shot past the keeper for the goal.
Ariza's 10 goals breaks the tie for the conference lead with Tennessee Tech's Ellie Iaciofano, who was limited to one shot Friday.
Shoaff has come on like a freight train in recent weeks, shutting out four of her last five opponents after blanking Tennessee Tech. She made seven saves in the contest, while opposing netminder Jordan Brown made 12 saves in defeat.