THURSDAY'S SCORES
@Murray State 3, SIUE 2
@Southeast Missouri 1, Eastern Illinois 0
@Austin Peay 1, Tennessee Tech 1 (2OT)
@Belmont 2, Morehead State 0
MURRAY STATE 3, SIUE 2
MURRAY, KY. - The Murray State Women’s Soccer team notched a 3-2 victory over SIUE on Thursday afternoon at Cutchin Field in Murray, Kentucky. The victory pushes the Racers to 8-6 on the year and 3-2 in OVC action.
Audrey Henry got the scoring started in the 15th minute of the match on a header coming off a free kick from Hailey Cole. The Racers would push their lead to 3-0 on an incredible brace from Cole. In the 19th minute of the match Cole would put her first goal in the net just inside the far post on a corner kick. The second goal of Cole’s brace came on a free kick from just outside the box to give the Racers their third goal of the half.
SIUE would score in the 26th minute to make the score 3-1 heading into halftime. Maria Haro netted the Cougars second goal in the 47th minute to bring the score to 3-2.
On the day, the Racers would fire 12 shots total with seven being on goal. Murray State would have four corner kick attempts in the match and Jenna Villacres collected four saves on the day. Eight Racers played the full 90 minutes in the contest.
The win makes Murray State 6-1 in games at Cutchin Field this season and gives the Racers their second consecutive victory in the OVC.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 1, EASTERN ILLINOIS 0
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Katelyn Miller registered her first career goal to lift Southeast Missouri women's soccer (5-8-0, 2-3-0 OVC) past Eastern Illinois (3-8-2, 1-3-1 OVC), 1-0, Thursday evening at Houck Field.
Miller notched the game-winner in the second minute to extend SEMO's win streak to two games.
The Redhawks have now scored each of their last two game winners prior to the third minute of play.
Lauren Welker intercepted a Panther pass right outside the box before hooking up with fellow Jackson, Missouri, native, Miller who one-touched a shot passed an outstretched, diving Faith Davies in the left side of the goal.
Miller competed in 58 minutes Thursday in her sixth career start (fourth consecutive) and now has three points (1g, 1a) in 2021.
The assist was Welker's third on the campaign, and her seventh career helper.
Shots were tied at 3-3 at the break. The Panthers posted two more in the second half to outshoot SEMO, 5-3 (5-3 SOG).
Miller, Taylor Nelson and Kate Daus each recorded shots on target Thursday.
Bailey Redden made three saves in the opening 45 minutes and finished with five for the shutout. The shutout was the 18th in her career as a Redhawk, which ranks fourth in program history.
With the victory, Redden is now tied for fourth in the SEMO record books with Ashton Aubuchon (2010-13) with 26.
Davies had two saves in the loss.
Emma Brune, Daus, Lexi Grote, and Natalie Jackson played in all 90 minutes of regulation Thursday.
Brune has now played in the full 90 each of the past three games. Jackson extended her full regulation streak to seven.
Daus played in her fourth 90 minute game in 2021 after last notching the feat at Murray State on Sept. 30.
Grote competed in her third full-regulation game in 2021 after last not leaving the pitch against UT Martin on Oct. 3. She appeared in her 76th career game Thursday.
Hannah Compernolle played in 57 minutes of her 78th career game. The fifth-year senior from Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin, ranks tied for second in SEMO program history with Megan Hejlek (2002-05), Jessi Wuellner (2003-06) and Lauren Kaempfe (2015-18) for career games played.
Emma Tucker made her second career start on the backline.
Eastern Illinois earned four corner kicks compared to SEMO's one opportunity.
Fouls finished tied at 9-9. Cami Lummus (23:25) and Karima Rangel (84:29) were both assessed yellow cards in the contest.
Lummus, Niondina Nystrom, Eva Munoz, Sarah Hagg and Michaela Danyo each had shots on goal for the Panthers.
The win halted SEMO's losing streak at home at two games.
AUSTIN PEAY 1, TENNESSEE TECH 1
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - The Tennessee Tech soccer team checked the tie column for the first time in OVC play, as the Golden Eagles and Austin Peay played to a 1-1 draw in a match that saw each team score in the second half.
Tech's deadlock is the club's second of the year after a 1-1 knot at ETSU in the non-conference finale in Johnson City on Sept. 17. The draw runs TTU's unbeaten streak to four consecutive, with the Golden Eagles registering a 3-0-1 mark throughout the unblemished stretch.
Tech's point puts the purple and gold in third place in the OVC with 10 points. UT Martin, who was idle on Thursday, and Belmont, who knocked off Morehead State 2-0 in Nashville on Thursday, both have 12 points.
The Govs (3-8-3, 0-4-1 OVC) unwrapped the scoring on an Alec Baumgardt goal in the 55th minute, but Tech proved it would not be deterred by the stanza's early setback. The Golden Eagles (4-5-2, 3-2-1 OVC) squared the score less than 10 minutes later, using an Ashley Grimes goal in the 64th minute to start the tilt fresh at 1-1.
Taylor Rhodes fed Grimes from over 30 yards out, before the Lebanon, Tenn. native drilled an upper-90 missile just inside the far post for her first career goal. Rhodes' pass led the 5-foot-6 freshman to her first career assist and first career point.
Rhodes was nearly heard from again with an opportunity to push the purple and gold ahead in the 77th minute, but her strike from in close was batted over the crossbar on a leaping halt by Chloe Dion to keep the match preserved.
Dion's stop was one of seven collected for the 5-foot-4 junior, as the Golden Eagles peppered eight shots on-goal. Isabelle Austin secured two saves over the course of 110 minutes.
Tech doubled up the shot margin thanks to a 12-6 advantage, which included a 6-2 edge in the second half alone. Gabby Garcia and Bailey Taylor tallied a team-best three shots apiece, while Baumgardt paced all players on the pitch with four total attempts, including two of APSU's three shots on-frame.
The Golden Eagles led the corner battle, 8-1.
BELMONT 2, MOREHEAD STATE 0
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - A pair of first half free kicks was too much for the Eagles to overcome, as Morehead State fell on the road to Belmont, 2-0 Thursday night.
The loss drops the Eagles to 4-8-3 on the season and 2-3-1 in league play, and is the first time Morehead State has suffered back to back losses in conference play this season.
Set pieces defined the game's action for a majority of the night, with the teams combining for 11 corner kicks and 18 free kicks, leading to some of the best scoring chances for both sides. Junior goaltender Michelle Jerantowski added four more saves to her strong season, but was outdueled by Belmont's keeper Andrea Leitner, who turned in her league leading fifth shutout of the season.
The Eagles posted the first great chance of the game, when a shot from freshman Jenna Setters clanged off the crossbar in the 24th minute. Belmont then converted on a bouncing free kick in the 30th minute that led to a shot just dribbling past the goal line for the game's first goal.
Morehead State nearly answered two minutes later on a free kick of their own, but Katie Kiolbassa's drive was punched over the goalpost. The Bruins then doubled their lead on another free kick late in the first half for Loren House's second goal of the game.
The Eagles attempted to cut into the lead in the second half with a number of corner kicks and a shot from Avery Redmon, but were held off the board for the third road game in a row.