PHOTO GALLERY
SEMIFINAL SCORES
#6 Belmont 2, #2 Murray State 1
#4 SIUE 2, #1 Southeast Missouri 1
BELMONT 2, MURRAY STATE 1
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Holding the 2-1 lead at the half, the Belmont women's soccer team held off Murray State in the final 45 minutes to advance to the OVC Championship match with a win in the OVC Semifinals on Friday afternoon at Houck Stadium.
Belmont becomes the first No. 6 seed to advance to the OVC Championship match since 2015.
Murray State struck first six minutes into the match, with 2019 OVC Offensive Player of the Year Miyah Watford getting the first goal off the assist from All-OVC First Team Abby Jones. With UT Martin scoring on Belmont five minutes into the quarterfinals, the Bruins were not rattled.
Six minutes later, senior Kameron Ziesig kicked a ball towards the head of Rachel Vernon off a corner kick. The 2019 All-Conference defender knocked the ball in the back of the net, tying the match 1-1.
Murray State looked to take the lead off a penalty kick one minute later, Belmont's first look at a penalty kick all year, but Jones missed it high to keep the score tied. In the 28th minute, Julie Garst placed a ball in front of Niki Clements for a one-on-one opportunity. Clements beat the defender, allowing her to put the ball in the back of the net for Belmont's 2-1 lead.
With Belmont only collecting five shots in the match, the Bruins relied on their defense to get the job done for the final 62 minutes. After senior goalkeeper Lily Herman collected a save in the 59th minute, she snagged another in the 71st minute to keep Belmont out in front.
The Racers kept pressing offensively, collecting three shots on goal in the final 10 minutes. Herman, however, leaped into the air to knock the ball out of the goal area in the 82nd minute and collect two more saves that allowed Belmont to claim the victory.
Herman finished with 11 saves on the night, marking the second time in the last three matches where she recorded double digit saves.
Belmont looks to secure the automatic bid in the NCAA Tournament in the OVC Championship on Sunday, playing the winner of SIUE and SEMO at 2 p.m.
SIUE 2, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 1
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Goalkeeper Jensen Schoch had nine saves to help No. 4 SIU Edwardsville (10-5-4) upset top-seeded Southeast Missouri (11-5-1), 2-1, in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament semifinal Friday night at Houck Field.
Schoch, who entered the game with four-straight shutouts, nearly pulled off her fifth against SEMO.
A penalty kick goal by OVC Freshman of the Year Hailey Block, however, spoiled the shutout in the 85thminute of play. Block took the kick after Myah Diekema was issued a red card on a rough collision with First-Team All-OVC midfielder Esmie Gonzales. SIUE committed 16 fouls in the game.
SEMO had a number of opportunities, but came up short.
Gonzales keyed the Redhawk offense all night, but Schoch saved all six of her shots on goal. Gonzales fired three shots on goal in each half.
SIUE scored first in the 41st minute when Mackenzie Litzsinger put the ball in the net from the left side of the goal. It was Litzsinger's first goal of the season.
The Cougars stretched their lead to 2-0 off a Megan Keeven goal. Keeven scored on a corner kick in the 77th minute.
SEMO outshot SIUE, 18-8, and finished with 10 shots on goal for the night.
Junior Abby Rollet, an outfielder on the SEMO softball team, made her first career start in goal.
Rollet was named the goalkeeper for tonight's contest after starter Bailey Redden was given a red card late in SEMO's regular-season conference title win over Tennessee Tech on Oct. 27. Redden missed tonight's semifinal matchup as a result of that red card.
Rollet, who was the Missouri All-State Class 2 Goalkeeper of the Year at Notre Dame High School as a prep, had two saves in her college soccer debut.
SIUE moves on to face No. 6 Belmont in the OVC Tournament Championship Sunday. That game is scheduled for 2 p.m., CT.