SUNDAY'S SCORES
@Murray State 2, SIUE 1
@Eastern Kentucky 1, Belmont 0 (OT)
@Austin Peay 2, Morehead State 0
@Tennessee Tech 1, UT Martin 0
@Southeast Missouri 1, Jacksonville State 0
MURRAY STATE 2, SIUE 1
MURRAY, Ky. - The Murray State Racers came from behind on senior day to win 2-1 over SIU Edwardsville at Cutchin Field in Murray, Ky.
A pair of goals from freshman Rebecca Kubin was the difference in the Racers' final regular season home game. The victory pushed the Racers' Ohio Valley Conference regular season unbeaten streak to 31 since their last loss in 2014 to Belmont. This is the third straight season the Racers haven't lost in the OVC after going 10-0-0 in 2015 and 7-0-3 in 2016. The Racers finish the 2017 OVC regular season at 8-0-2 and have won the last three titles.
With the win, Murray State moves to 13-1-2 overall and 8-0-2 in the Ohio Valley Conference while SIUE drops to 6-9-2 overall and 4-5-1 in the OVC.
For just the third time this year the Racers trailed their opponent, as the Cougars' Ashlyn Walter scored the first goal of the game just four and a half minutes into the first half.
Both goals for the Racers came in the second frame, with the tying goal coming from Kubin at the 67th minute, cleaning up a rebound initially shot by Annamarie Arino to make it a 1-1 game.
With less than two minutes remaining in the game, Arino crossed a pass into the box to Kubin, who headed it in to give the Racers a 2-1 lead.
Alex Steigerwald picks up her 13th win of the season, moving to 13-1-2 on the year.
SIUE's Juli Rossi recorded six saves in 28:42 minutes of action. Jensen Schoch gave up two goals and notched five saves in the 61:18 minutes in net.
EASTERN KENTUCKY 1, BELMONT 0
RICHMOND, Ky. - Senior midfielder Allison Werner scored a golden goal in the first overtime period that lifted the Eastern Kentucky University soccer team past the Belmont Bruins, 1-0, on Sunday afternoon at EKU Soccer Field.
With the victory, the Colonels secured the No. 3 seed in the upcoming OVC Tournament.
In the 95th minute, Werner took a pass from freshman midfielder Alyssa Julien and sent a shot toward the net from 20 yards out that sailed just above the Bruins’ goalkeeper and into the back of the net. For Werner, the goal marked her second of the season and first career game-winner.
It was Julien’s first career assist.
The Bruins nearly scored one minute before Werner’s goal, when offensive star Belicia Mendiola rebounded her own shot and had a good look at the net; however, senior goalkeeper Anna Hall made a critical diving save to preserve the game and set up Werner’s heroics moments later.
The Colonels (9-4-4, 6-1-3 OVC) outshot the Bruins 16-11, on the afternoon. Junior midfielder Bailly Bounds led EKU with three shots, one being on target. Werner, senior forward Emmi Carroll, sophomore midfielder Monica Rios, and sophomore forward Erin Torrence had two shots each.
Mendiola, Anna Brock Hawkins, Sydney Cason, and Niki Clements paced Belmont (10-6-1, 6-4 OVC) with two shots each.
Hall made three saves to earn her sixth clean sheet of the season. She is now one shutout away from tying Stephanie Lynch’s career record (23).
Junior defenders Kacy Eckley and Haley Kemper played all 95 minutes of the win on the Colonels’ backline.
TENNESSEE TECH 1, UT MARTIN 0
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - The Tennessee Tech soccer team is headed back to the OVC Tournament semifinals.
By virtue of a 1-0 win over UT Martin in Sunday's regular season finale, the Golden Eagles finish the regular season in second place, earn a double-bye in the conference playoff tournament and stamp their ticket to Murray, Ky. with the program's third-straight trip the tourney's final four.
Tech (9-4-3, 6-1-3 OVC) also extends an already program record unbeaten streak to nine in a row, while the club's shutout over the Skyhawks marked the fifth-straight TTU blanking, a new school record as well. The Golden Eagles end the regular season without allowing a goal in the last 577 minutes, the longest streak in program history.
Prior to the contest, Tech honored its senior class with a special pre-match Senior Day ceremony, yet it was a freshman who jump-started the Golden Eagles shortly into the tilt. A mere five and a half minutes in, Kendall Powell collected a pass from Nora Vicsek, before blasting one into the back of the net to give TTU a 1-0 edge.
Powell's club-leading fourth goal, and second in the last three matches, pushes the Cookeville native to a team-best 10 points in her rookie campaign. Vicsek captured her first assist of the season, while Molly Kafader tabbed one as well after starting the scoring try by winning a header and feeding Vicsek.
After the early score, the Golden Eagle defense took it from there, blanking the Skyhawks (6-10-3, 4-5-1 OVC) with just three shots on-goal against them. Overall, UT Martin took 10 shots, equaling Tech's 10 across the way. Skyhawk junior Amy McGivern paced the match with four shots, while Kendall Powell led the TTU charge with three attempts.
Kari Naerdemann registered two saves en route to her 28th career shutout, tying the OVC all-time career record, shared by SEMO's Lindsay Pickering (2005-07) and SIUE's Jennifer Pelly (2012-25). The Herne, Germany native also collected her 28th career victory, knotting Tech's Carly King (2001-04) for the most in program history.
UTM freshman goalkeeper Erica Myers made three saves following the early goal by Powell.
Tech's back line of sophomore Rachel Blow and seniors Lauren Brewer, Mary Francis Hoots and Karigan Owens did not leave the field. The Golden Eagles managed to play all seven senior players with Cassidy Ortman, Michaella Keyes, Alyssa Montgomery and McKenzie McCloud all entering the match off the bench.
Tech ties a ribbon on its home slate that saw an unbeaten mark of 6-0-1 in Cookeville this year. The Golden Eagles have gone unbeaten at home in 14 straight dating back to early September of last season.
AUSTIN PEAY 2, MOREHEAD STATE 0
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - In a must-win game, Austin Peay State University women's soccer team scored twice in the second half to defeat Morehead State in the regular season finale to go unbeaten at home for the first time in program history.
The Govs got off to a shaky start, struggling to control possession in the midfield, but the back line held strong, fending off Morehead State's (2-13-1) five shots and never giving the Eagles a corner kick.
Sophomore keeper Mary Parker Powell was not called on often in Sunday's match, but stayed alert directing the back line. Powell made one save in the first half on a dipping ball off a set piece that she read and tipped over the bar just before the ball crossed the line.
The Governors came out of the halftime pressing Morehead State creating turnovers and dictating play in the midfield. The Govs earned three corner kicks in the second-half and fired nine shots at the Eagle's junior keeper Michelle Washburn.
Senior forward Kirstin Robertson opened the scoring for the Govs in the 76th minute on a through pass from redshirt sophomore Pamela Penaloza. Penaloza's pass hit Robertson in stride as she took a touch around an Eagle defender and slotted the ball in the far left corner.
Morehead State looked desperately for an equalizer, throwing numbers forward, but the Governors' defense stood strong repelling balls dropped in over the top back towards the midfield.
In the 84th minute, junior McKenzie Dixon put the match away when she picked up a ball dropped over the top of the Eagle's defense from junior Katie Costantino and launched a shot off the keeper's hands and into the back of the net.
The back line for the Govs played all 90 minutes, preserving Powell's fourth shutout of the season propelling Austin Peay to its second straight postseason appearance in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 1, JACKSONVILLE STATE 0
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri defeated visiting Jacksonville State, 1-0, in the regular-season finale. The Redhawks improved to 7-7-3 on the season and 4-3-3 in the conference and will be among the eight teams in the OVC postseason.
After a scoreless 56 minutes of action, SEMO's Esmie Gonzales broke the deadlock with the eventual game-winning goal. Gonzales, the reigning OVC Offensive Player of the Week, headed the ball in to the back of the net after Lexi Grote dribbled down the sideline before sending it toward the goal for Gonzales. It was Gonzales' fifth goal in the last three matches and seventh of the season. SEMO turned in 16 total shots on the soggy afternon.
Jax State threatened after falling behind but could not post the equalizing goal. The Gamecocks finished with 11 total shots, led by junior Claire Petersen's five attempts, a new season high for the Hermon, Maine native. Redshirt sophomore Danelle Lindo was the only other Gamecock with multiple opportunities.
Southeast Missouri goalkeeper Kindra Lierz picked up the shutout, making five saves.
Senior goalkeeper Caroline Robinson established herself as one of the top keepers that has come through the program though out her four seasons in Jacksonville. Robinson etched her named atop JSU's all-time career saves list with her six saves in the regular season finale. The Hendersonville, Tennessee stopper entered the contest two saves shy of fore Gamecock Adriana Finelli's career mark of 306 saves. Finelli's mark has stood since she wrapped up her career 2001. Robinson closed out her time in goal with 311 after recording six saves at SEMO. She moved to the top spot with her second save of the opening half. Robinson also exits the program with 15.5 career shutouts, which ranks her third behind Finelli and Amanda Stephens (2002-05).