SUNDAY’S SCORES
@Eastern Kentucky 2, Tennessee Tech 0
@Morehead State 1, Jacksonville State 1
@SIUE 1, UT Martin 0
@Eastern Illinois 3, Southeast Missouri 2 (2OT)
@Austin Peay 3, Belmont 0
EASTERN KENTUCKY 2, TENNESSEE TECH 0
RICHMOND, Ky. - The Eastern Kentucky University soccer team stayed hot on Sunday afternoon, blanking Tennessee Tech, 2-0, to remain unbeaten at home (6-0-1) and in Ohio Valley Conference action (3-0-1).
EKU (7-4-2, 3-0-1 OVC) has not lost since September 12 at Xavier. The defeat, meanwhile, drops TTU to 4-8-1 (2-3-0 OVC).
Freshman Mikala Ferguson dialed up the game-winning goal for EKU in the 17th minute, rebounding a shot on goal by junior Nikki Donnelly and burying a ball in the lower right corner of the net. It was Ferguson’s first-career goal, and it was all the Colonels needed
Junior Lauren Fant added an insurance goal in the 82nd minute, heading in a corner kick off the foot of sophomore Emily D’Italia. It was D’Italia’s team-leading third assist of the fall and second of the weekend.
EKU outshot TTU, 19-9, on the afternoon. Donnelly led all players in the game with six shots, three of which were on goal.
Fant, D’Italia, senior Deja Tennon and sophomore Paige Larkin all went the distance on an EKU backline that has now not allowed multiple goals in 13 consecutive OVC regular season games dating back to the end of 2010. It was the Colonel defense’s third shutout of the year.
Freshman Samm Melton made her second consecutive start in goal for the Colonels and recorded five saves en route to her first career shutout.
MOREHEAD STATE 1, JACKSONVILLE STATE 1
MOREHEAD, Ky. - A pair of first half goals was all either team could manage as the Morehead State soccer team drew a 1-1 tie with Jacksonville State on Sunday afternoon at Jayne Stadium.
The tie moved the Eagles to 1-9-2 on the season and 1-2-1 in Ohio Valley Conference play, while the Gamecocks sit at 10-3-2 overall, and 3-1-1 in league play.
MSU outshot the Gamecocks 27-6 in the contest, and was led by sophomore Elizabeth McSparin. McSparin scored the loan Eagle goal and registered five total shots. Six other MSU players had shots on goal and freshman Elizabeth Floyd racked up two saves.
It only took the Eagles five minutes to net the first goal of the match. McSparin got on the end of a cross from freshman Kimberly Golden for her first goal of the season, on a shot into upper corner from 18-yards out.
The Eagles were able to hold the Gamecocks scoreless for the next 28 minutes, but in the 33rd minute freshman Kelsey Bright played a perfect through ball to split the MSU back line and found sophomore Courtney Hurt. Hurt won the one-on-one match-up with Floyd and connected on an open net for her team-leading seventh goal of the season.
For the next 65 minutes, neither team was able to net the match-winner and each team earned a point in the standings.
SIUE 1, UT MARTIN 0
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - Kourtney Price banged home the game winner Sunday with just 2:30 remaining in regulation as SIUE women's soccer defeated UT Martin 1-0 at Korte Stadium.
The goal came from a restart from the left side of the box. Michelle Auer served the ball into the six-yard box. After if came down, Price buried it to the far post. For Price was the first goal of the junior's career.
SIUE improved to 6-5-1 overall and 3-2 in the Ohio Valley Conference with the win. UT Martin, which had a seven-match undefeated streak snapped with the loss, fell to 6-5-3 overall and 3-1-1 in OVC play.
The Skyhawks came into the game averaging nearly four goals per game, and Sunday marked just the third time this season that the Skyhawks have been shut out. SIUE outshot UT Martin 10-6 in the game, thanks to a 7-1 advantage in the second half.
Jennifer Pelley made one save in goal for SIUE, recording her second consecutive shutout and her sixth of the season.
SIUE was not without its chances earlier in the game. Auer got loose at the top of the box with 12 minutes remaining in the first, but her shot was stifled by UT Martin goalkeeper Mariah Klenke coming off her line. Klenke then stopped Kristin Dierker with three minutes remaining in the half, making a sliding save again coming out of the goal.
Just 14 minutes into the second period SIUE had three consecutive corner kicks but couldn't finish. Cassidy Sherman eventually got a shot off, but it went wide of the goal.
Klenke made six saves in the loss for the Skyhawks.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 3, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 2
CHARLESTON, Ill. - With just under three minutes remaining in double overtime, redshirt-senior Ashley Streid scored her first goal of the season to lead the Panther women's soccer team over Southeast Missouri, 3-2, on Sunday afternoon. EIU improves to 4-10 (2-3 OVC) on the year.
Streid found the back of the net from four yards out on the right off a ball played through the middle of the field by classmate Kristin Germann.
EIU has now taken five matches into overtime on the year, posting a 3-2 record in those contests. SEMO dropped to 2-9-3 overall and 1-3-1 in Ohio Valley Conference action with the loss.
The Panthers took an early 1-0 advantage in the second minute when Germann scored her team-leading fifth goal of the season on a penalty kick. The penalty kick was set up when a SEMO player committed a hand ball inside the 18-yard box.
EIU took a 2-0 advantage in the 27th minute when Brooke Sill scored her second goal of the year. The sophomore midfielder headed the ball into the back of the net from five yards out off a cross from the right by Streid.
The Redhawks battled back to score two, second-half goals to tie the match and send it into overtime. Taylor Byrd scored the first goal in the 64th minute before Storm French added the second goal with just under three minutes remaining in regulation.
SEMO took three more shots (20-17) than EIU, including two more shots on goal (8-6). The Panthers took two more corner kicks (5-3) than the Redhawks and committed six more fouls (15-9).
Streid paced the Panther attack with four shots (two on goal) while Germann and Sill both added three shots. Ashley Geist led SEMO with five shots (one on goal).
Emily Hinton (2-0) posted the win in goal as the freshman made five saves while surrendering two goals. Ashton Aubuchon (1-5) took the loss in goal for SEMO, allowing three goals and making three saves.
AUSTIN PEAY 3, BELMONT 0
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - A three-goal first half kick-started the Austin Peay State University women's soccer team to a big conference win, Sunday, at Morgan Brothers Field. The Lady Govs welcomed Belmont to the Ohio Valley Conference with an important 3-0 victory.
The Lady Govs picked apart the Bruin defense early on, scoring twice in the opening five minutes of play. Junior Tatiana Ariza got the scoring started in the fourth minute, scoring her season's fifth goal after a poor clear by the Belmont defense gave her easy path to the net.
Just over a minute later, junior Joceline Quiceno took a feed from her sister Andy and slid a shot to the lower left corner for the second Lady Govs goal. Austin Peay got that goal while playing one player short after Emily Perkins was sidelined for a moment following an injury.
The assist was the 13th of Andy Quiceno's career, moving her into second-place all-time in Lady Govs history. Her sister moved into seventh place all-time in career points with 23.
Ariza picked up her second goal in the 22nd minute on a heady play from the offensive wunderkind. After Perkin played a ball into the box that was misplayed by Belmont's Nicole Berner, Ariza pounced on the loose ball and fired it into the open net for her season's sixth goal.
With six goals and four assists giving her 16 points this season, Ariza now has three of the top five single-season scoring performances in Austin Peay history: 39 points (first, 2011), 27 points (second, 2010) and 16 points (fifth, 2012).
In scoring three times against Belmont, Austin Peay snapped a dubious string. It's the first time the Lady Govs have scored three goals or more against an OVC opponent since defeating UT Martin 3-1 on Oct. 1, 2006.
The offense wasn't the only part of the Lady Govs catalogue on display Sunday. Junior keeper Haylee Shoaff picked up her second shutout in a row by making eight saves, her most against an OVC foe this season.