SUNDAY’S SCORES
@Morehead State 1, SIUE 1
@Tennessee Tech 2, Murray State 1
@Eastern Kentucky 2, Eastern Illinois 1
@Austin Peay 2, Jacksonville State 0
UT Martin 1, @Belmont 0
MOREHEAD STATE 1, SIUE 1
MOREHEAD, Ky. - Following an early SIU Edwardsville goal, Morehead State's Macy Cobb netted the equalizer in the 28th minute Sunday, and the teams settled for the 1-1 double overtime tie at Jayne Stadium.
MSU moved to 1-11-4 overall and 1-4-3 in the Ohio Valley Conference, while SIUE's record now sits at 7-6-3 overall and 4-3-2 in the league.
Cobb led the Eagles with two shots on goal, while senior Sam Toepfer and junior Alex Pacitto also had shots. Freshman Elizabeth Floyd tallied seven saves for MSU.
SIUE got the scoring started in the 15th minute when freshman forward Katye Skrivan received the ball wide on the right side of the field, turned the MSU defender, and lofted a ball over the outstretched arms of Floyd. The goal was Skrivan’s second of the season.
The equalizer came for the Eagles off a cross from sophomore Paige Weber. Weber hit a ball from the left side of the field and found a sprinting Cobb, who connected on the volley for her third goal of the season.
The second half was marked by physical play and a 4-3 edge in shots by the Eagles. However, neither team could net a match-winner and the game ventured into overtime.
The Cougars outshot MSU, 7-0, in the two overtime frames but could not find the back of the net.
SIUE owned the 18-6 shot advantage on the day, and both teams finished with five corner kicks.
TENNESSEE TECH 2, MURRAY STATE 1
MURRAY, Ky. - The Murray State soccer team lost a tough 2-1 decision on Sunday afternoon to Tennessee Tech at Cutchin Field.
The Racers (4-11, 2-6 OVC) came out strong for the second consecutive game in the match, attacking early and getting a quick Julie Mooney goal in the 22nd minute. Mooney dribbled through multiple Tennessee Tech defenders and nailed the shot from 20 yards out in the lower corner of the net. The goal was Mooney’s first of the season.
The Golden Eagles (5-10-1, 3-5 OVC) responded soon after, as Andrea Meloff scored off of a crossing pass in the 24th minute to tie things up at 1-1. The backbreaker came with under a minute to go in the first half as TTU scored on a Sarah Gawthrop goal, giving them the lead for good.
Murray State was led by Mooney’s five shots, including three on goal. Megg Hudson, Bronagh Kerins and Shauna Wicker each had two shots for the Racers in the loss. Hudson, Racheal Foxley and Rachel Walker all had one shot on goal.
Latesha Stevenson recorded two saves in the loss in net for MSU.
The Racers once again had the advantage in shots, shots on goal and corner kicks in the match. As a team, Murray State had 15 shots, including six on goal and had a 9-to-3 edge in corner kicks.
EASTERN KENTUCKY 2, EASTERN ILLINOIS 1
RICHMOND, Ky. - The Eastern Kentucky University soccer team used a pair of second half goals by juniors Nikki Donnelly and Kristan Paynter to defeat Ohio Valley Conference foe Eastern Illinois, 2-1, on Sunday afternoon.
The win was also EKU’s (9-6-2, 5-2-1 OVC) program-record ninth of the fall, and it wrapped up an undefeated regular season at home for the Colonels (8-0-1).
EKU stifled EIU (5-12-1, 3-5-1 OVC) to just two shots in the first half and then pounced on the Panthers early in the second half. Donnelly started the scoring by burying an unassisted shot into the top left corner of the goal in the 47th minute. It was her team-leading seventh score of the season.
Paynter then added to the Colonels’ lead in the 58th minute, rebounding a shot on goal by junior Brittany Nomady and finding the back of the net. It was Paynter’s first goal of the fall and second of her career. It was Nomady’s second assist of the season.
Brooke Sill headed in a ball from Meagan Radloff in the 74th minute to put EIU on the board; however, it was not enough as the Colonels held on to secure the win in their regular season home finale.
EKU outshot EIU, 9-8, on the day and also held a 7-4 advantage in corner kicks. Donnelly led all players in the game with three shots.
Tennon, junior Lauren Fant and sophomore Emily D’Italia and Paige Larkin played all 90 minutes of the game on EKU’s backline, while Nomady went the distance in the midfield for the Colonels.
Freshman Erika Wolfer was back in goal for EKU on Sunday and allowed just one goal while making two saves to earn the win.
UT MARTIN 1, BELMONT 0
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Despite strong play in the second half of action, the Belmont women's soccer team (7-7-2, 3-3-2 OVC) was unable to topple OVC leader UT Martin (9-5-3, 6-1-1 OVC) on Sunday afternoon at Rose Park. The Bruins were edged 1-0 by the Skyhawks and slip to 3-3-2 in conference play.
UT Martin's Saphyra Coombs-James netted what would become the lone goal of the day just eight minutes into the contest and the Bruins hustled for the remainder of the half on the hunt for the equalizer.
Unable to find the back of the net in the first half, BU intensified its efforts in the second on both sides of the ball. The Bruins opened the stanza with a pair of great attempts from senior Lauren Paynter (Danville, Ky.) and sophomore Meredith Martin (Franklin, Tenn.). However, despite their efforts the Bruins were unable to slip the ball past the Skyhawks defense.
UT Martin held the advantage in shots, 11-7, and corner kicks, 6-4.
Freshman Cassie Blase (Waukesha, Wisc.) tallied two shots for BU to lead the team.
Belmont junior goalkeeper Nicole Berner (Randolph, N.J.) finished the afternoon with five saves. UT Martin's Mariah Klenke made a pair of stops to earn the shutout.
AUSTIN PEAY 2, JACKSONVILLE STATE 0
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Junior keeper Haylee Shoaff recorded her fifth shutout in the last six games and Austin Peay State University women's soccer team clinched a berth in November's Ohio Valley Conference tournament with a 2-0 Senior Day victory against Jacksonville State, Sunday, at Morgan Brothers Field.
The victory sends Austin Peay (9-7-1, 5-2-1 OVC) back to the conference tournament for the first time since 2010, when the Lady Govs reached their first-ever OVC Tournament championship game. Jacksonville State (10-6-2, 3-4-1) falls to seventh and sits outside the six-team field for next month's conference championship.
Austin Peay jumped out to an early lead thanks to the continued offensive brilliance of junior Tatiana Ariza. She corralled a loose ball in front of the Jacksonville State net and slipped it past the Gamecocks Katelyn Geddings for her season's 11th goal.
In conference play Ariza now has eight goals and three assists, including seven goals and three assists in Austin Peay's current 4-0-1 stretch. Her 29 points this season is the second-highest mark in Austin Peay history.
Austin Peay and Jacksonville State would lock horns in a defensive battle for the remainder of the first half and much of the second. Neither squad would so much as attempt a shot between the 52nd and 70th minutes.
The Lady Govs got a late insurance goal from junior Joceline Quiceno, who made an athletic play to get a head on an Ariza cross and redirect into the net for her season's fourth goal. Senior Emily Perkins also assisted on the play.
Shoaff was stellar in net again, making four saves and earning her fifth shutout this season, all during OVC play. She's now made 87 saves this season, tying her with Michelle Smith's 2007 mark for sixth-most in a single season in Austin Peay history.