SUNDAY'S SCORES
Jacksonville State 2, @Tennessee Tech 1
@SIUE 1, Eastern Illinois 0
Murray State 1, @Austin Peay 0
@Eastern Kentucky 2, Morehead State 1 (OT)
JACKSONVILLE STATE 2, TENNESSEE TECH 1
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - Jacksonville State sophomore Jackie Rush scored both goals in the Gamecocks 2-1 win over Tennessee Tech in both squad's Ohio Valley Conference opener on Sunday.
With the win, Jax State has now won three-straight OVC openers dating back to the 2010 season and are now 6-3 in conference openers and the fifth league-opening win under Julie Davis Carlson's watch. JSU moved to 8-2-1 overall, while TTU dropped to 2-6-1 on the season.
The JSU offense came from Rush as the Trophy Club, Texas-midfielder scored in the 28th minute and the 61st minute. Rush's goals were her second and third of the season. She netted her first goal from ten yards out after the ball was blocked into the net for the scoring play. Freshman Katt Dowd was credited with her second assist in as many games.
After taking a 1-0 lead into the halftime break, Rush added what would be the eventual game-winner in the final 45 minutes. Rush was successful on a header from nine yards out and sent the ball to the top right corner of the goal. The goal was engineered by seniors Julia Binnicker and Katie Manns. The assist was the first of Binnicker's career and Manns' fourth of the season. Manns, who played all 90 minutes, also had two scoring chances in the match. Senior Nathalee Lariviere was credited with a pair of shots.
Tech trimmed the deficit in the 70th minute as Ellie Iaciofano, the league's top-scorer, scored from the top of the box after receiving the ball from Jacquie Watkins. JSU staved off 19 TTU scoring chances in the contest, while the Gamecocks were held to just nine total shots.
SIUE 1, EASTERN ILLINOIS 0
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - Erin DiGiovanni scored her first career goal just 1:51 into the game, and SIUE women's soccer made it stand, shutting out Eastern Illinois 1-0 Sunday at Korte Stadium in the Ohio Valley Conference opener for both schools.
DiGiovanni's goal came as a result of a corner kick. Cassidy Sherman corralled a loose ball in front of the goal and found DiGiovanni who buried it from five yards away.
Eastern Illinois (2-8, 0-1) managed 11 shots of its own, but the SIUE defense refused to bend. Cougar goalkeeper Jennifer Pelley made six saves to secure her fourth shutout of the season.
MURRAY STATE 1, AUSTIN PEAY 0
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Austin Peay State University women's soccer team outshot rival Murray State but fell to the Racers 1-0, Sunday, in the Lady Govs Ohio Valley Conference opener.
The Lady Govs (4-6-0, 0-1-0 OVC) dropped their OVC opener for the second year in a row despite keeping pressure on Murray State's defense for much of the game. The Racers (3-5-0, 1-0-0 OVC) snapped a two-match losing streak to Austin Peay.
Much of the first half was spent between the goal boxes; Austin Peay was limited to two shots in the opening period, while Murray State was unable to manage a single shot attempt in the opening 45 minutes.
Junior Tatiana Ariza put the Lady Govs best chance on net in the 18th minute. A hard left foot from just outside the 18-yard box was deflected just over the bar by Murray State keeper Latisha Stevenson to preserve the scoreless tie.
The Lady Govs offense came out more focused in the second half. Austin Peay attempted 10 second-half shots, putting five on net. Overall, the Lady Govs outshot Murray State 12-3.
Murray State never got a sustained offensive push going, but took advantage of one of the few chances they did receive. In the 70th minute, reigning OVC Offensive Player of the Week Veronika Pryibyslavksa attempted a 25-yard shot that just got over the head of Haylee Shoaff for the eventual game-winner.
Ariza, junior Joceline Quiceno and senior Emily Kink each challenged Murray State's Stevenson but could not find the net for equalizer late in the contest. Stevenson would make six saves in the victory, while Shoaff made one stop in defeat.
EASTERN KENTUCKY 2, MOREHEAD STATE 1 (OT)
RICHMOND, Ky. - Junior Nikki Donnelly scored twice in the final eight minutes of play to lead the Eastern Kentucky University women’s soccer team to a thrilling, come-from-behind win over in-state rival Morehead State, 2-1, on Sunday afternoon in the Colonels’ Ohio Valley Conference opener in front of a raucous home crowd.
It was EKU’s second-straight win over Morehead State dating back to last season, and the Colonels’ first-ever win over the Eagles at EKU Soccer Field.
Donnelly’s late-game heroics began with less than two minutes in regulation. With EKU trailing Morehead State, 1-0, the Cincinnati native received a cross from freshman Amani Thomas, beat one defender and then buried a shot in the bottom right corner of the goal from 10 yards out to tie the game and force overtime.
Donnelly carried that momentum into OT, as she received a pass from freshman Mikala Ferguson six minutes into extra play and launched a shot from about 25 yards deep that ricocheted off the post and into the net, stunning Morehead State and igniting a frantic celebration on the field.
The goals were Donnelly’s fourth and fifth of the season, and they made her the all-time leading goal scorer in EKU history (13).
Donnelly finished the game with five shots, four of which were on goal. Senior Hayley Wright also played a key role in the win, filling in for injured sophomore Kaylynn Brown by logging 52 minutes at the forward position and firing two shots, one of which was on goal.
Kimberly Golden led Morehead State with two shots on the afternoon, while McKenzie Ward scored the Eagles’ lone goal of the day in the 67th minute.
Freshman goalkeeper Erika Wolfer made five saves in the victory, while senior Deja Tennon, junior Lauren Fant and sophomores Emily D’Italia and Paige Larkin all went the distance on EKU’s backline.