FRIDAY'S SCORES
@Eastern Kentucky 1, UT Martin 0
@Belmont 2, Eastern Illinois 0
@Morehead State 1, Southeast Missouri 1 (20T)
@Austin Peay 2, SIUE 1
EASTERN KENTUCKY 1, UT MARTIN 0
RICHMOND, Ky. - Junior Bailly Bounds scored her second goal of the season in the 36th minute to lift the Eastern Kentucky University soccer team past the UT Martin Skyhawks, 1-0, on Friday afternoon in an OVC matchup at EKU Soccer Field.
After sophomore midfielder Marian Wolski broke away from two defenders, she fired a cross to Bounds, who placed a shot 20 yards out that zipped past the Skyhawks’ goalkeeper.
It was all the EKU defense needed. Senior goalkeeper Anna Hall made six saves, while center backs Haley Kemper and Katie Shaffer anchored the Colonel backline to its third shutout of the season, and first during OVC play.
Bounds led the Colonels (5-3-2, 2-0-1 OVC) with four shots on the afternoon, three of which were on goal. Senior forward Jordan Foster also contributed two shots. In total, Eastern tallied nine shots, four being on target
Hall recorded two of her six saves in the final 15 minutes of the game, when UT Martin (4-6-2, 2-1-0 OVC) was frantically firing shots, trying to find the late equalizer. Her most dramatic save came in the 78th minute, when she dove for a shot fired from the right side of the box that would have tied the game.
Amy McGivern led UT Martin with four shots, three being on target.
BELMONT 2, EASTERN ILLINOIS 0
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Senior forward Belicia Mendiola (McKinney, Texas) proved to be the difference maker for Belmont women's soccer Friday night, notching both goals in the Bruins 2-0 victory over Eastern Illinois at E.S. Rose Park.
In her second multi-goal match of the season, Mendiola displayed her versatility in the attacking third after making a pair of great plays to help Belmont (6-3-1, 2-1-0) improve its record to 6-1 at home this season. In addition to Mendiola's offensive contributions, the squad held strong defensively as well as they tallied their third shutout of the season.
The Bruins got out to a hot start, firing off five shots before the Panthers (5-5-1, 0-2-0) could even get one off. Belmont came close a couple times, but it wasn't until the 30th minute that Mendiola would find the back of the net and send in what would be the game-winning goal. The veteran connected on a perfectly placed ball from senior defender Addison Cartwright (Alton, Ill.) who was sitting on the midfield line and served a ball in striking distance for Mendiola to head in her fifth goal of the season. The assist marked the first of the senior's career and Belmont's 13th of the season.
The tempo continued to be controlled by Belmont for the remainder of the half as they only allowed Eastern Illinois to get off two shots. While the Panthers struggled to get their offense going, the Bruins were only heating up as they launched 12 of their 27 shots in the opening 45 minutes. They forced EIU keeper Maddie Lyon to make five saves including a bullet offered by senior midfielder Tara Austin (Beaumont, Texas) in the 10th minute.
BU showed no signs of letting up coming out of the locker room as they put back-to-back shots on frame right away, including one from Emily Whitcomb (Elmhurst, Ill.) that found favor with the crossbar and ricocheted away from the goal.
While goalkeeper Lily Herman (Springboro, Ohio) was only called on to make one save in the match, she helped the defense prevent EIU from getting any looks. In the 63rd minute she elevated on a Panther corner to punch the ball away from the goal and keep Eastern Illinois from sending in the equalizer. Herman moves to 4-2-1 on the season when protecting Belmont's goal.
During the waning minutes of the match Mendiola used a pass from another senior defender, Heather Ferrari (Duluth, Ga.), to make a sliding play in the 8-yard box and lightly tap the ball past Eastern Illinois' second half keeper Sara Teteak to put BU up, 2-0. The squad would lead the final shot count, 27-5, and land a season-best 10 on frame.
MOREHEAD STATE 1, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 1
MOREHEAD, Ky. - Down a goal in the final minute of regulation, Southeast Missouri's Lauren Kaempfe headed the equalizer into the back of the net to force overtime at Morehead State (1-7-1, 0-2-1). Two overtimes couldn't decide the match as the Redhawks and Eagles played to a 1-1 draw.
Southeast is now 4-5-1 on the season and 1-1-1 in Ohio Valley Conference play.
The Redhawks outshot the Eagles 15-9 in the contest with Esmie Gonzales leading the charge while Paige Blankenheim had three to her name. Five of SEMO's shots were on goal.
Kindra Lierz (2-5-1) played the full 110 minutes in goal. She allowed the go-ahead goal in the 19th minute but made four stops. The senior has moved her career saves total to 253, one shy of tying the all-time record.
Michelle Washburn also played the entire 110-minute match in goal for Morehead. She too allowed one goal, making four saves.
Abby Timm netted her first goal of the season in the 19th minute when she broke away about 40 yards out, drove the center of the field and fired her shot past a diving Lierz to put Morehead up 1-0.
The Redhawks trailed at halftime for only the second time this season as the Eagles led 1-0.
Southeast narrowly outshot the Eagles 5-4 in the opening stanza. Blankenheim had a pair of shots while three others added to the offense in the first 45 minutes. Blankenheim's first shot in the 34th minute skimmed the top of the crossbar and rolled off the top of the net.
SEMO took six shots in the second half, one hitting off the post by Gonzales, with none finding the back of the net.
In the 90th minute and down by one, the Redhawks found themselves with possession deep in Eagle territory. Jasmin Hilliard stepped up and fed a corner kick into a group of Redhawks camped out in front of the goal. Running in, Kaempfe jumped to head the ball over the Eagle defenders and keeper to net the equalizer.
The last-minute goal forced Southeast's second overtime match of the season.
Each team took a single shot in the first overtime with the Eagles putting theirs on goal.
Both of SEMO's second overtime shots were close as Gonzales once again hit the right post and Shelby Beussink's shot was just wide left.
AUSTIN PEAY 2, SIUE 1
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Austin Peay defeated visiting SIUE, 2-1, on Friday night. The Governors improved to 6-3-1 overall and 1-1-1 in OVC action while the Cougars fell to 4-5-1 overall and 2-1 in league play.
The Governors struck in the 23rd minute after Jennifer Smith slotted home the first penalty shot.
The Cougars had four shots in the first half.
Austin Peay's Kirsten Robertson scored on the second penalty kick in the 67th minute.
The Cougars tried to make things interesting late when Krista McMahan scored her first goal of the season in the 88th minute.
SIUE's Emily Grahl and Ashlyn Walter both took two shots. The Cougars outshot the Governors 9-5.