SUNDAY'S SCORES
@Eastern Kentucky 2, UT Martin 0
Murray State 1, @Jacksonville State 0
Tennessee Tech 1, @SIUE 0
Morehead State 1, @Eastern Illinois 0 (2OT)
@Belmont 2, Austin Peay 1 (2OT)
EASTERN KENTUCKY 2, UT MARTIN 0
RICHMOND, Ky. - It was Senior Day at EKU Soccer Field, but it was a sophomore – Emmi Carroll – who played the role of hero in the Eastern Kentucky University soccer team’s 2-0 win over UT Martin on Sunday afternoon.
Carroll scored two second-half goals to propel the Colonels to the victory. The win improved EKU to 2-4-0 in OVC play.
The game was scoreless through 75 minutes until Carroll came off the bench and headed in a goal at close range off an assist from freshman Bailly Bounds.
Carroll struck again in the 86th minute, scoring an insurance goal off an assist from fellow sophomore Logan Harvey. It was Carroll’s team-leading third score of the year.
Senior goalkeeper Samm Melton, making her first start since September 13, also came up big in the win, making six saves to earn the clean sheet.
It was EKU’s first win over UT Martin (4-9-0, 2-3-0 OVC) since October 7, 2011, the year before this year’s senior class arrived in Richmond.
EKU outshot UTM, 13-11, on the day. Harvey and sophomore Jordan Foster paced the Colonels with three shots apiece.
Seniors Dani Cant and Amani Thomas and freshman Kacy Eckley played all 90 minutes on the backline to help the Colonels earn their second shutout of the conference season.
MURRAY STATE 1, JACKSONVILLE STATE 0
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - In a battle between the top-two teams in the Ohio Valley Conference, Murray State remained perfect in the league after edging Jacksonville State, 1-0, on Sunday afternoon at the JSU Soccer Field.
The Gamecocks, who celebrated senior day prior to the match, dropped to 6-7-1 overall and 3-2-1 in conference play. JSU opened the weekend with a thrilling 4-3 win over Austin Peay on Friday night. The Racers moved to 9-4 overall and 5-0 against OVC competition after escaping Jacksonville with a winning result.
MSU's Marissa Burroughs came off the bench to record the game winner in the 67th minute of the contest. Burroughs turned in a match-high five shots, including three on goal. The Racers were level with their shots in each half with eight in each session. Jax State, who had just two shots recorded in the first half, tallied seven in the final 45 minutes and had chances to equalize after MSU put a goal on the scoreboard.
On a day dedicated to the senior class, it was a pair of JSU freshmen that led the offensive attack. After two goals on Friday versus APSU, Claire Petersen looked for the weekend hat trick with a goal, but could not connect on her two shots. Madison Carruthers sparked the Gamecocks with a team-high three shots. Senior Kelsey Bright added a pair of shots in the setback. Bright, from Kingwood, Texas, is nearing the 200 career shots plateau with her seven on the weekend.
Sophomore goalkeeper Caroline Robinson recorded five saves, while MSU's Alex Steigerwald posted a shut out after making three stops.
TENNESSEE TECH 1, SIUE 0
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - SIUE women's soccer dropped a 1-0 decision against Tennessee Tech Sunday at Korte Stadium.
The Cougars fall to 6-5-3 overall and 1-4-1 in the Ohio Valley Conference. The Golden Eagles improve to 6-5-3 and 4-1 in OVC play.
Tennessee Tech scored the lone goal of the game in the 29th minute of play. Abi Gearing collected the ball after a rebound off the crossbar and fed it to Kalyn Pruett, who scored off the far post.
Despite the loss, the Cougars managed to record the eighth consecutive game in which they outscored their opponents. SIUE forced Tennessee Tech goalkeeper Kari Naerdemann to make eight saves while tallying 13 total shots.
The offensive attack was led by Cassidy Sherman, who had four shots on the game, including several headers from close range late in the second half. Jennifer Pelley made two saves on the game.
MOREHEAD STATE 1,EASTERN ILLINOIS 0
CHARLESTON, Ill. - Eastern Illinois freshman goalkeeper Maddie Lyon turned away eight Morehead State shots on goal through 102 minutes of action on Sunday afternoon. It was a penalty kick that proved to be the difference with 7:17 left to play in the second overtime period that lifted the Eagles to a 1-0 win over the Panthers at Lakeside Field.
Morehead State applied pressure in both overtime periods with two shots in the first extra session and two shots in the second overtime. It was on a counter that Dani Wilson was taken down by an EIU defender during a foot race to a loose ball in the goal box. Wilson was awarded a penalty kick which she made in the lower left hand corner of the box for the win.
EIU was aggressive playing with the wind in the second period as EIU had four shots on goal. Senior Hannah Miller nearly won the game with one second left in regulation as Kaitlyn Murphy made a big save to force overtime. Murphy finished with four saves.
Miller had three of the Panthers four shots on goal in the match. Kaci Schonert had the other shot on goal.
Morehead State finished with nine total shots on goal. Abby Timm had a team high three shots on goalH
BELMONT 2, AUSTIN PEAY 1
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - For a fifth time this season, the Belmont women's soccer team (3-10-1, 2-4 OVC) went into extra time to help decide a match. This time it fell the Bruins way as they toppled in-state rival Austin Peay (6-7, 2-3 OVC) in double overtime by the score of 2-1.
The Bruins got on the board first in the sixth minute behind a shot by senior Sydney Scheben (Union, Ky.), with assists going to sophomores Tara Austin (Beaumont, Texas) and Heather Ferrari (Duluth, Ga.). Belmont controlled the tempo and pace of the entire first stanza as they took the one goal advantage into the locker room.
After the break, the Lady Govs tried to free themselves from the grip of Belmont on both sides of the ball but were unsuccessful for more of the half. Finally, in the 79th minute, APSU was able to net the equalizer. Undaunted by the challenge, BU went back to work attacking the Austin Peay goal but was unable to connect down the stretch to take the game in regulation.
After an uneventful first overtime, the Bruins went on an attacking frenzy in the second. Belmont kept the ball in Lady Govs territory and barely let the ball get over the midfield line. Sophomore Belicia Mendiola (McKinney, Texas) was fouled about 60 yards out with just over three minutes remaining on the clock. She fired a rocket that creeped around the APSU wall and sailed into the upper left corner of the net to give the Bruins the 2-1 victory.
Belmont dominated in shots, 17-7, and held the narrow advantage in corner kicks, 3-2.
Junior Meg Howard (Brentwood, Tenn.) led the Bruins with four shots, followed by Scheben, senior Cassie Blase (Waukesha, Wisc.), Mendiola, and Austin with two apiece.
Between the posts, junior Stephanie Bukovec (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) finished with three saves.