FRIDAY'S SCORES
UNC Asheville 2,
@Eastern Kentucky 1
@Appalachian State 4,
Belmont 1
@Troy 3,
Jacksonville State 1
@Morehead State 2, Louisville 0
Tennessee Tech 2, @Chattanooga 1
Illinois State 3,
@Southeast Missouri 0
@Middle Tennessee 1,
Murray State 0 (OT)
Drake 2,
@SIUE 1
Ole Miss 2,
@Austin Peay 0
@Tulsa 1,
UT Martin 0
UNC ASHEVILLE 2, EASTERN KENTUCKY 1
RICHMOND, Ky. - The Eastern Kentucky University soccer team dominated the second half and nearly rallied from two goals down, but fell just short in a 2-1 loss to visiting UNC Asheville on Friday afternoon at EKU Soccer Field.
UNCA (4-2-0) scored a pair of early goals in a span of two minutes to take a seemingly comfortable first-half lead. The first came in the 10th minute when Amanda Dailor bent a free kick into the upper right corner of the net. Just over two minutes later, Kennedy Garrett fed Paige Trent, who buried another score to give the Bulldogs a quick 2-0 advantage.
However, the EKU backline regrouped after the early UNCA flurry, allowing the Colonel attack to take shape. Sophomore Cassie Smith’s shot on an open goal sailed just high in the 35th minute and freshman Emmi Carroll had a nice look at a shot mere minutes later, but it was stopped by UNCA keeper Heather Muller.
EKU continued to control the momentum in the second half, as Smith finally got the Colonels on the board in the 59th minute, dribbling past the UNCA defense and firing in a goal from close range. It was Smith’s team-leading third goal of the year.
EKU outshot UNCA, 23-9, in the game. Fourteen of the Colonels’ shots came in the second half. But, it was not enough.
Senior Ashley Ryan lofted a corner kick with eight seconds remaining in the game as the Colonels attempted a last-ditch effort to tie it and force overtime, but Muller made her 11th save of the day to seal a hard-fought victory that came down to the final whistle.
Carroll led all players in the game with six shots. Ryan and juniors Dani Cant and Mikala Ferguson all attempted a game-high two shots on goal.
Freshman goalkeeper Anna Hall made five saves in the loss.
Senior Emily D’Italia – who made a diving save on a ball in the second half after Hall had been pulled out of the goal – led an EKU defense that clamped down after the early UNCA goals. Junior Merrissa Vault and sophomore Mikalya Brillon played all 90 minutes on the outside of the Colonel backline. Ferguson also went the distance in the midfield in Friday’s contest.
EKU (2-4-0) will now host Marshall on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.
MOREHEAD STATE 2, LOUISVILLE 0
MOREHEAD, Ky. - The Morehead State soccer team scored a signature win Friday night, defeating the Louisville Cardinals 2-0 in front of the largest crowd at Jayne Stadium in the last three seasons.
Morehead State (4-1-2) had never defeated the Cardinals, trailing 11-0 in the series. Louisville (2-4-0), which is in its first season in the Atlantic Coast Conference, played in two of the last three NCAA Tournaments. MSU appeared in two of the last four NCAA Tournaments.
The MSU offense generated two quick shots in the first 1:30 before senior forward Jade Flory broke free for the initial score at 5:15. Flory notched her Ohio Valley Conference-best sixth goal of the year and 20th of her career. In less than two seasons, the Youngstown State transfer is fifth on the school's career goal list.
Senior forward Holly Tilley added the second goal at 61:35. Following a flurry of activity in front of the Cardinal goal, Tilley found an opening off a ricocheted attempt and beat goalkeeper Paige Brown.
Both teams finished with nine shots, while the Eagles fired four on goal. Brown stopped a pair of MSU attempts. Junior goalkeeper Elizabeth Floyd halted three Cardinal shots.
Morehead State doubled the visitors on corner kicks, 10-5.
Morehead State hosts Wyoming Sunday at 12:30 p.m. ET. The match will be shown live on the Ohio Valley Conference Digital Network.
TENNESSEE TECH 2, CHATTANOOGA 1
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - The Tennessee Tech soccer team's offense came alive Friday evening in Chattanooga, producing a season-high 17 shots and two goals en route to capturing a 2-1 victory for the club's second win in the last three matches.
The Golden Eagles (2-4-0) saw nine players record at least one shot in the affair, led by junior Taylor Blazei's four, with the Hartford, Wis. native playing a monumental impact on both Tech scores. Scoreless in the 22nd minute, the Golden Eagles lit up the scoreboard first thanks to a corner kick set up by Blazei who was credited with the assist.
The 5-foot-7 forward smacked one right into the box which was headed into the back of the net by senior Katie Phillips for her first goal of the season to push TTU to a 1-0 advantage.
The Golden Eagle defense, which surrendered just nine shots and only three of on-goal, made the 1-0 mark stand into intermission, before Blazei and the rest of the offense struck again in the 77th minute. A beautiful pass from Zoie Hensley that saw the freshman forward slip it past the back of the Mocs (1-5-0) defense and right to Blazei who tucked one inside the far post to give Tech a 2-0 lead.
The goal was the first of the season for Blazei as she wraps up the evening with a three-point performance, while Hensely tallied her second assist of the year.
Chattanooga made it interesting late in the tilt, scoring in the 86th minute to cut the deficit to 2-1 after a Clare Latham through ball was fired into the back of the net by freshman Abby Linder for her first goal of 2014.
The Golden Eagle defense took it from there over the final three and a half minutes, guiding Tech to the finish line for the squad's second win of the season. Senior goalkeeper Rebecca Toler made two saves in the match, while on the opposite end of the equation Chattanooga's Hannah Dunn halted eight shots.
Tech will try to make it three wins in the last four matches on Sunday, traveling to Arkansas-Little Rock for a 1 p.m. kickoff.
MIDDLE TENNESSEE 1, MURRAY STATE 0
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - An Angie Lai goal with 1:17 left in the first overtime was enough to push Middle Tennessee past the Murray State women's soccer team, 1-0, on Friday night at Hayes Stadium in Murfreesboro.
In the opening 45 of the match, the Racers (1-5) got out to hot start with a shot by Julie Mooney that was saved by Middle Tennessee keeper Kelsey Brouwer in the first 30 seconds. Both teams would go onto finish the half with three shots and each placed one on target. The Racers were not without their chances in the stanza however as they enjoyed a 4-0 advantage over the Blue Raiders (3-2-1) in corner kicks.
In the second half, the two teams continued to be deadlocked with Middle slightly edging MSU, 10-8, in total shots, and 4-3 in shots on goal. The Racers did have two more corner kicks than the Blue Raiders in the second, to finish regulation with a 7-1 advantage.
In the overtime period, the Blue Raiders outpaced Murray State by taking four shots, all while holding the Racers to none. The game-winning goal from Lai came when she fired one from the corner of the 18-yard box off of a pass by Grace Summers for the golden goal victory.
Brouwer finished the match with a clean sheet in goal for the Blue Raiders and ended her night with four saves. Despite the loss, Shelby Haworth was impressive for MSU by coming up with five saves and allowing just one goal.
Mooney led the Racers in the match with four total shots, while Pavlina Nepokojova followed close behind with three. Marissa Burroughs had two shots in the game, with both going on goal, while Mooney and Nepokojova placed one each on target.
On Sunday, the Racers will close out a five-match road stretch when they travel to Saint Louis. Kick-off against the Billikens at Hermann Stadium is set for 1 p.m.
APPALACHIAN STATE 4, BELMONT 1
BOONE, N.C. - The Belmont women's soccer team (2-2-2) was unable to overcome another early deficit and dropped its first matchup of the weekend on the road. The Bruins fell to Appalachian State, 4-1.
The Bruins trailed 4-0 late into the second stanza before freshman Belicia Mendiola (McKinney, Texas) took control inside the ball and drilled the ball from the right side of the box.
Sophomore Meg Howard led the Bruins in shots with a total of three, followed by Mendiola with two.
Between the posts junior Lindsey Espe (LaCanada, Calif.) and senior Megan Byrd (Gurnee, Ill.) split time between the posts. The pair combined for two saves.
Belmont returns to action on Sunday, wrapping its two-game road swing at first-time opponent UNC Asheville. Match time is set for Noon CT. Live stats and video will be available.
TROY 3, JACKSONVILLE STATE 1
TROY, Ala. - Troy turned in a pair of second half goals to spark a 3-1 win over Jacksonville State in women's college soccer action on Friday at the Troy Soccer Complex.
The loss was JSU's second in a row and dropped its overall record to 3-4. The Trojans improved to 5-2 and its fifth-straight winning result.
The Trojans put the first score on the board in the 26th minute after Natalie Melillo headed a cross past Jax State keeper, Meara Johnson. Troy, who finished with 18 total shots, had seven in the opening 45 minutes and limited the Gamecocks to just three in the half.
After returning to the pitch after the halftime break, the Trojans needed little time to add to their lead as Annabell Simpson touched the ball once to send the ball in to the back of the net to give Troy a 2-0 edge.
The Gamecocks' offense heated up after the two-goal deficit. Redshirt junior Courtney Hurt, the reigning Ohio Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Week, carded her team-best sixth goal of the season. The Huntsville, Ala.-native knocked the ball past the Troy keeper from the right side after taking an assist from senior Lindsey Jackson in the 52nd minute. Jax State had six of its nine shots in the second half.
Troy added an insurance goal in the 79th minute after Alissa Jones sent the ball in from the left side of the pitch.
JSU continues its road trip on Sunday with a visit to Montgomery, Ala. for a 1 p.m. contest with Alabama State.
ILLINOIS STATE 3, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 0
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri (2-2) fell 3-0 to Illinois State (4-3) in non-conference action Friday evening at Houck Stadium. The Redbirds scored three goals in the first half that proved to be the difference.
The Southeast defense played a strong second half, holding the powerful Illinois State attack scoreless over the final 45 minutes. GK Kindra Lierz made six saves on the evening for Southeast, including five in the second half.
MF Emily Dickman opened the scoring with a bizarre goal on a ricochet in the 15th minute. Less than two minutes later, F Rachel Tejada scored the first of her two goals on the evening. MF Ali Farkos assisted on the second goal. Tejada added the final score of the night in the 32nd minute.
Illinois State outshot Southeast 16-4, including a 9-1 margin in shots on goal. GK Aryn Newsom made one save for the Redbirds.
D Paige Luehmann led Southeast with two shots while MF Jenna Collingridge added a shot on goal. MF Kasey Crowden also registered a shot. Tejada finished with a game-high four shots, including four shots on goal.
The Redhawks continue non-conference play at Evansville on Sept. 17 with a 7 p.m. start. They will also travel to Arkansas State on Sept. 19 for a match that begins at 5 p.m.
DRAKE 2, SIUE 1
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - SIUE women's soccer suffered a 2-1 loss in double overtime to Drake.
Junior goalkeeper Jennifer Pelley recorded a career-high 10 saves in the game.
The Cougars struck first with a goal from Kayla Delgado in the 36 minute. The goal was assisted by Cassidy Sherman and was Delgado's first goal on the year.
Drake scored the equalizer in the second half. Rebecca Rogers scored on a corner kick in the 69th minute.
The game saw a scoreless first overtime, until a penalty kick from Drake's Rebecca Rogers ended the game in the 103rd minute.
The Cougars were outshot 16-13 on the game.
SIUE faces Northern Illinois Sunday in DeKalb at 1 p.m.
TULSA 1, UT MARTIN 0
TULSA, Okla. - For the second consecutive game, the University of Tennessee at Martin women’s soccer team held a dangerous opponent to just one goal but could not find the game’s equalizer, falling to American Athletic Conference foe Tulsa 1-0 on Friday evening.
The Skyhawks (4-2) were held scoreless in their second straight contest after averaging over three goals per game in the team’s first four contests. Despite the lack of goals, goalkeeper Mariah Klenke posted yet another gutsy performance. She tallied three saves in each period for a total of six stops on the night. The Hurricanes’ lone goal of night pushed the senior’s goals against average to a miniscule 0.66 on the season.
Alyssa Curtis, Olivia Bohlman and Abby Masters each tallied two shots on the night. The duo of Curtis and Bohlman were joined by Rianna Jarrett, Ellie Myrick and Ashlie Watson with shot attempts on goal.
Tulsa (6-1) saw its lone score come off the foot of Lauren King in the 51st minute. Tana Dake tallied an assist on the goal while also tallying a team-best eight shots, five of which were on goal. Goalie Courtney McKeon logged all 90 minutes between the posts, notching four saves on the evening.
The Skyhawks came out of the gates aggressively, tallying three of the game’s first four shots on the night. With the aggressors’ mentality, the Skyhawks would take a 6-5 shot advantage into the break.
After the Skyhawks tallied back-to-back shots on goal in the 49th minute, the Hurricanes would get the night’s only goal on the board just two minutes later. Dake would find King with a perfect assist, setting up the striker with an open net opportunity which she cashed in on from six yards out to register her third goal of the season and break the scoreless tie.
UT Martin would look for the game’s equalizer, but would place its final shot attempt in the 86th minute, eluding the comeback.
The Skyhawks will be fasted with the quickest turnaround of the schedule to date, traveling on Oklahoma State on Sunday, Sept. 14. Action against the Cowgirls is schedule to get underway at noon from the Cowgirl Soccer Complex.
OLE MISS 2, AUSTIN PEAY 0
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Austin Peay State University women's soccer team took some positive steps Friday night against Ole Miss. Despite coming away on the wrong side of a 2-0 decision, the Lady Govs showed poise and toughness against an experienced Rebel squad picked to finish ninth in the Southeastern Conference preseason coaches poll.
The Lady Govs fall to 1-6-0 on the season, with a scoring drought and losing streak each standing at five consecutive contests. Ole Miss moves to 4-1-2.
With seven of the starting 11 comprised of freshmen and sophomores, Austin Peay held tough against the Rebels for much of the first half. After struggling to get forward against their previous SEC opponent, Alabama on Aug. 29, the Lady Govs were able to string together several first-half opportunities, including a 21st-minute attempt from freshman Caroline Wistrom that hit the post and a 35th-minute shot from senior Claire Pultz that was snared by Ole Miss' Kelly McCormick.
All the Rebels offensive success came in a three-minute span. In the 39th minute, Olivia Harrison beat sophomore Katie Emig to the lower left corner from 12 yards out, and came back less than three minutes later to deposit a through-ball into the box from Bethany Bunker to make it 2-0 heading into the break.
Austin Peay inserted freshman Lindsey Todd between the pipes for the second half, and the Brentwood native responded with six second-half saves, including a pair late from point-blank range to keep the deficit close.
Unfortunately, Austin Peay couldn't quite close the deal on repeated attempts in the attacking third. Freshman Mallory Burman was the only Lady Gov to force a save from McCormick in the second half, that coming in the 85th minute.
Despite two first half saves, Emig took her season's third loss. McCormick made three stops in victory for the Rebels.
The Lady Govs get a week off before returning to action Friday, Sept. 19 with a 7 p.m. first kick against Samford, the middle contest of Austin Peay's three-match homestand to close the non-conference portion of the schedule.