SUNDAY'S SCORES
@Pitt 1,
Morehead State 0
@Murray State 2, Northern Kentucky 1 (2OT)
Jacksonville State 7, @Jackson State 0
Eastern Illinois 0, Valparaiso 0 (2OT)
Austin Peay 2, @Evansville 0
@Lipscomb 2,
Tennessee Tech 1
@Middle Tennessee 5,
Belmont 3
PITT 1, MOREHEAD STATE 0
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - The Morehead State soccer team ultimately dropped a 1-0 decision to the Pittsburgh Panthers after allowing a goal in the second overtime period on Sunday afternoon at Ambrose Urbanic Field.
Pittsburgh forward Anna Rico's game-winner found the back of the net in the 102nd minute to hand the Eagles their first loss of 2018.
The teams played to a scoreless tie after the opening 90 minutes. The Panthers outshot the Eagles 25-to-5 in regulation but redshirt-sophomore goalkeeper Eva Helgadottir stood her ground and made 10 of her 11 total saves before giving up the match-winning goal in the second overtime.
Offensively Morehead State picked its' shots selectively, taking six total shots in the game with four being on target.
Freshman forward Colleen Swift took both of her shots in the first half that had to be grabbed by Pittsburgh goalkeeper Amaia Pena. Senior Forward Dani Wilson took two shots with one on target in the 88th minute that was nearly the go-ahead goal.
Junior midfielder Ellie Weber and Freshman defender Nicole Palmer played the full match for the Eagles while senior defender Makenna Lavatori and Helgadottir also logged over 100 minutes of playing time.
Morehead State will now prepare for its third consecutive road contest as the team is slated to travel to Kentucky on Thursday. The Wildcats and Eagles are scheduled to kickoff at 6:00 p.m. ET at the Wedell and Vickie Bell Soccer Complex.
MURRAY STATE 2, NORTHERN KENTUCKY 1
MURRAY, Ky. - The Murray State soccer team recorded their second-straight win of the season at Cutchin Field in a 2-1 overtime victory over Northern Kentucky on Sunday.
Murray State (2-0) got on the board eight minutes into the match when junior Miyah Watford found the back of the net for her first goal of the season. Watford’s goal came off a crafty assist from freshman Abby Jones.
The Racers held the 1-0 lead going into the half on nine shot attempts, while the Norse closed the first period with three.
Less than a minute into the second half, Northern Kentucky was awarded a penalty kick inside the box. NKU’s Shawna Zaken converted the penalty kick with a stealthy shot in the lower left corner and evened the match 1-1.
While each team had several scoring opportunities in the second stanza, neither squad was able to break the tie setting the stage for MSU’s first overtime of the season.
Just as they did in the first half of play, the dynamic duo of Watford and Jones relied on one another yet again to provide Murray State the golden goal in just 1:40 seconds. Watford received the pass from Jones, struck the ball from the right side of the box, and watched as it rolled by a diving Emily Lohmann into the far corner of the net for the game-winning goal.
The Racers finished the day with 19 total shots with eight on goal, while NKU ended the contest with nine shots and three on goal.
MSU will be back in action at Cutchin Field Friday at 3 p.m against IUPUI (Aug. 24) before traveling to Oxford, Mississippi to take on Ole Miss (Aug. 26) in their first road game this season.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 7, JACKSON STATE 0
JACKSON, Miss. - The Jacksonville State soccer team capped off the opening weekend of the 2018 season with a 7-0 blanking of Jackson State on Sunday on the road in Jackson, Mississippi.
The 'battle of the JSU's' was moved off the Tigers' campus field to Ridgeland High School after heavy rains moved through the Magnolia State on Friday and Saturday. The seven goals is the most produced by the Gamecocks since they tallied seven against Alabama State during the 2015 season. Coupled with Friday's 2-1 win over Louisiana-Monroe at the JSU Soccer Field, the program is off to its first 2-0 start.
Jax State had five different players contribute goals, including a pair by sophomore Chloe Doherty and senior Claire Petersen. After junior Emma Meadows was credited with the first goal of the contest in the 25th minute, Doherty added both of her goals within a two-minute span. Her first career goal in the 38th minute and quickly added her second goal a minute later. Junior Cheyenne Carden aided in one of Doherty's scoring plays.
With a 3-0 lead at the halftime break, the Gamecocks quickly added to their advantage with a penalty kick by Petersen three minutes deep in to the second half. The Hermon, Maine native posted the club's fifth goal of the day in the 53rd minute. It was a senior-to-senior scoring play as senior Madison Carruthers collected the assist.
Junior Nadia Plawiuk, who had one of the two goals on Friday, registered her second goal of the weekend in the 69th minute. Carden dished out her second assist of the day on the play.
Sophomore Alicia Pallister was the second Gamecock on the day to register her first career goal on the collegiate level. Pallister had a breakaway goal to cap off the scoring in the 74th minute.
As a team, the Gamecocks accumulated 25 total shots, while limiting the Tigers to three shots the entire contest. Thomas led all Jax State players with four shots, including three on goal. On the opening weekend, JSU out-shot its opponents 44-9.
Redshirt freshman Morgan Lerch, who was making her second career start, turned in a clean worksheet and notched her second win and first shutout. All three of the Tigers' shots came in the second half.
The Gamecocks return to the pitch next weekend, touring the state of Georgia. The weekend will begin in Statesboro, Georgia on Friday against Georgia Southern. Match time is set for 6 p.m. CST. JSU will move north to Atlanta on Sunday versus Georgia State.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 0, VALPARAISO 0
CHARLESTON, Ill. - Eastern Illinois goalkeeper Sara Teteak made six saves on Sunday afternoon as the Panthers opened the regular season with a 0-0 double overtime tie against Valparaiso at Lakeside Field. It was the first match for first-year head coach Jake Plant.
Both teams had two shots in the first half but neither team put a shot on goal for the first 45 minutes. In the second half Valpo increased its pressure with six shots on goal, all stopped by Teteak who posted her eighth career shutout.
Cory Griffith gave the Crusaders a good offensive chance in the 62nd minute as she had a direct shot on goal that Teteak deflected. The ball landed on the foot of Keegan Maris who shot it just over the net. Teteak was make two other saves on shots by Griffith as she had three of Valpo’s six shots on goal.
Sarah DeWolf had a breakaway chance for the Panthers in the 65th minute but the junior was unable to lift the ball over the arms of Crusaders goalkeeper Drew Moulton who had gone towards the ground to make the save.
EIU would have one more scoring chance in the first overtime period on a shot by Lexi Ketterhagen. The Panthers finished the day with seven total shots compared to ten for Valpo.
EIU returns to action on Friday traveling to Milwaukee for a 7 pm match.
AUSTIN PEAY 2, EVANSVILLE 0
EVANSVILLE, Ind. - Austin Peay State University women's soccer team defeated Evansville, 2-0, to claim the first road victory in the Naomi Kolarova era, Sunday, at McCutchan Stadium.
The Govs made one change to the starting lineup after their season-opening win against Middle Tennessee, with Pamela Penaloza coming into the midfield.
Evansville came out strong in the first ten minutes, taking a couple of shots and having more possession in the Govs' half of the field, but the Govs quickly woke up. Evansville goalkeeper Micheala Till pulled off two saves in quick succession to deny Abby Therrell and Shelby Stewart in the 12th minute, but the breakthrough came not too long after. Claire Larose received the ball from Goodwin Brown and broke free from a defender and slotted the ball into the net for a 1-0 lead in the 18th minute.
The Govs doubled their lead shortly before halftime with senior striker McKenzie Dixon scoring from the top of the box off an assist from Gybson Roth. The Govs went into the break with a healthy 2-0 advantage.
Evansville opened the second half much like the first, as they roared forward in search of a goal to reduce the deficit, but only were able to hit the post as the Govs thwarted their attacks.
Kolarova went deep into her bench in the second half for more fresh legs, as the Govs used 24 players in total. Brice Bement, who came on in the second half, hit the post as well around midway through the second half.
Till continued to keep the Purple Aces within striking distance, making a couple very good saves after Bement's shot narrowly stayed out.
The Govs were able to keep the pressure on Evansville, even while leading 2-0, having a couple shots and corner kicks in the final ten minutes as Austin Peay closed the game out and started out the season with two wins from two matches.
APSU is back in action Friday for a home contest against Alabama A&M.
LIPSCOMB 2, TENNESSEE TECH 1
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Tennessee Tech dropped its first contest of the season as the Golden Eagles fell, 2-1, to Lipscomb in Nashville on Sunday night.
The Lady Bisons got on the board first as they score just under six minutes into the contest.
Senior Courtney Manning scored the equalizer off an Ashley Grimes assist at the 19:35 mark.
The score would remain tied at 1-1 until Lipscomb scored the eventual game-winner at the 49:26 mark.
Tennessee Tech senior goalkeeper Kari Naerdemann made fives stops in the contest.
The Golden Eagles return home on Friday as they host East Tennessee State. Gametime is set for 7:00 p.m. CT.
MIDDLE TENNESSEE 5, BELMONT 3
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - The Belmont women's soccer team put the pressure on Middle Tennessee State in the second half Sunday, but an early deficit proved too large to overcome. The Bruins fell 5-3 in a non-conference game at Dean A. Hayes Stadium.
Belmont trailed 5-1 at the break, but looked like a different team coming out of the locker room for the second time. Belmont whittled the Blue Raiders' lead down to two in the opening six minutes of the second half.
Senior midfielder Emily Whitcomb scored her first goal of the game in the 48th minute by cleaning up a bouncing ball in the box. A corner kick from junior Hannah Diaz pinged off the crossbar and into traffic, where Whitcomb was in position to get a hard strike on the loose ball.
Belmont's cashed in thanks to its pressure again just four minutes later. The Bruins drew a foul in the box to set up a penalty kick, the third of the match between the two teams. Senior defender Sarah Bossung slotted the free shot past a diving MTSU goalkeeper, Celeste Barnard, to bring the score to 5-3.
Despite several more chances, the Bruins could draw no closer before the final whistle.
Belmont had started the first half hot as well, going over the top just two minutes into the game with a lightning strike of offense. Junior BU goalkeeper Lily Herman (Springboro, Ohio) served up a long pass out of her own end that found sophomore forward Julie Garst (Franklin, Tenn.) in space in the attacking third. Garst buried the shot just 2:24 into the match to give Belmont its first lead of the very young season, 1-0.
The Blue Raiders answered in the fifth minute and the adversity snowballed. By the 40th minute, the Bruins trailed 5-1 with a pair of MTSU goals – both from Hannah Tillett – coming on penalty kicks.
The Bruins next play Western Carolina on the road in Cullowhee, N.C., on Sunday, Aug. 26. That nonconference game against the Catamounts is slated for noon Central Time.