SUNDAY'S SCORES
UT Martin 1, @Morehead State 0
@Murray State 1, Austin Peay 0 (OT)
@Southeast Missouri 0, Tennessee Tech 0 (2OT)
SIUE 3, @Belmont 0
UT MARTIN 1, MOREHEAD STATE 0
MOREHEAD, Ky. - For the fifth time in program history, the University of Tennessee at Martin soccer team can claim the Ohio Valley Conference regular season championship. Thanks to a 1-0 shutout of Morehead State in the 2021 finale on Sunday, the Skyhawks earned themselves a share of the league’s title and #1 overall seed in the upcoming OVC Tournament with a 6-2 record against conference opponents, finishing the schedule tied with SIUE for the top spot in the league standings. Since UTM owns the tiebreaker over the Cougars, they will benefit from a double BYE into the semifinal round while hosting the final two days of the conference tourney.
Riding a 16th-minute score from sophomore Emely van der Vliet that quickly put the Eagles in a disadvantage, UTM cruised to the road victory amidst another sublime defensive showing, holding the other side without a score for the fifth time this semester. Along with the win and conference crown, graduate goalkeeper Erica Myers officially becomes the all-time school leader in total shutouts, denying her opponent a single score for the 22nd time in her illustrious career.
Wasting no time going into attack mode right out of the gates, UT Martin rallied off their first five shots in the first third of the opening frame, eventually leading to the payoff from van der Vliet at the 15:28 stamp for the striker’s sixth goal of 2021. Kamryn Chappell and Izzy Patterson synced up for the double-feature assist on what turned out to be the only score of the afternoon, all that the Skyhawks needed to claim their second OVC title in the past four seasons.
Once bumping themselves ahead in the early going, coach McNamara’s unit went to work ensuring Morehead State wouldn’t sneak an equalizer, limiting the Eagles to just five shots for the entire match including only one in the first 45 minutes. Myers saved MSU’s second-to-last attempt at the net with 15 minutes remaining, leaving Morehead’s last ditch shot at the tie sailing too high of the target at the 86:36 mark.
Michelle Jerantowski – the Eagles’ keeper in the season-closing defeat – managed to stop six of the Skyhawks’ 11 shots when all was said and done, although van der Vliet’s early punch sealed the deal allowing UTM to coast from there.
Seven different players on the victors’ side ended the day with at least one look at the goal, led by seven put together from van der Vliet, Jill Hildreth, and Makayla Robinson. Conversely, Colleen Swift was the only Morehead State performer to land more than one shot attempt as the Skyhawks finish the regular season with a record of 10-5-1 and 15 points to their OVC resume.
The opening round and quarterfinal matchups of the 2021 league tournament will begin on October 29th and 31st respectively as both UTM and SIUE earn a pass into the semi’s by virtue of their status as co-champions. A 1-0 victory by the navy and orange in Edwardsville two weeks ago grants the Skyhawks the rights to host the final two rounds in Martin, which will take place on November 5th and 7th with a chance to move on to the NCAA Tournament at stake.
MURRAY STATE 1, AUSTIN PEAY 0
MURRAY, KY. - The Murray State Women's Soccer team claimed a 1-0 overtime victory over Austin Peay on Sunday afternoon at Cutchin Field in Murray, Kentucky. With the win, Murray State will host a first round matchup between Tennessee Tech and Eastern Illinois with the winner playing the Racers on Sunday (Oct. 31) at Cutchin Field.
After neither side conceded a goal through the first 90 minutes of the match, Chloe Barnthouse would receive a deep pass from Lauren Payne with just the Austin Peay goalkeeper to beat. Barnthouse was clinical in her finish and would score the golden goal for the Racers in the 95th minute. The goal was Barnthouse's fifth on the year to take sole possession as leading goal scorer for the Racers this year.
Murray State put up 11 shots on goal in the match on 14 total attempts with nine coming in the second half of the match. The Racer defense would limit the Governor offense to just two total shot attempts on the day with both being off target to collect their third clean sheet on the season.
Following the match, Murray State honored seven seniors for their contributions to Racer soccer. Cera Prather, Marley Hall, Izzy Heckman, Abby Jones, Symone Cooper, Katie Bickers, and Rebecca Kubin were all celebrated in the ceremony.
The fourth seeded Racers await the winner between the fifth seeded Golden Eagles and eight seeded Cougars for a match at Cutchin Field at 1 pm next Sunday.
Senior Day
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 0, TENNESSEEE TECH 0
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri women's soccer (5-9-2, 2-4-2 OVC) secured the seventh seed in the 2021 Ohio Valley Conference Championship with a 0-0 double overtime draw with Tennessee Tech (4-5-4, 3-2-3 OVC) Sunday afternoon at Houck Field.
SEMO will face #6 Morehead State Friday, Oct. 29 in the opening round of the tournament in Nashville, Tennessee, on the campus of Belmont. With a victory over Morehead State, the Redhawks would advance to the quarterfinals held Sunday, Oct. 31 at #3 Belmont.
SEMO will make its 20th all-time appearance at the tournament next week. The Redhawks have qualified for the OVC Championship Tournament each of the past five seasons.
Tennessee Tech led the game in shots, outshooting the Redhawks 8-5 including 4-3 for shots on goal over the four periods Sunday.
The Golden Eagles held a 4-0 shots advantage during overtime. SEMO led shots during the 90 minutes of regulation, 5-4, including four in the final half before OT.
Abby Tremain led the Redhawks with two shots including one on target. The senior from Bridgeton, Missouri, sent a shot on net that was stopped by an outstretched Isabelle Austin in the 30th minute.
Tremain finished with 79 minutes on the pitch.
Katelyn Miller and Hannah Compernolle both added shots on goal in the second half as the Redhawks increased the intensity, outshooting TTU, 4-2, during the frame.
Compernolle, the Redhawks all-time games leader, played in her 81st career game. She competed in 64 minutes Sunday.
Bailey Redden was perfect in the second overtime period, blocking all three shots she faced to keep the Golden Eagles off the board. She finished with four saves for her sixth shutout of the season and 20th in her career.
Emma Brune, Kate Daus, Lexi Grote and Natalie Jackson played in the full 110 minutes against TTU.
For Brune, it was her fifth-straight full regulation game and 15th in 2021.
Jackson extended her streak of playing every minute to 10 games.
Daus, a senior from Lindbergh, Missouri, has played in six full regulation competitions in 2021.
Grote has now played in four full matches this season. The senior from Granite City, Illinois, registered a shot in her 79th career game at SEMO. She ranks tied for second in program history for games with Lisa Schweppe (2002-2005).
Lauren Welker and Maddie Paulson played in 84 minutes. Paulson made her fourth career start at SEMO.
Elizabeth Rater tallied her sixth career start.
Taylor Rhodes led TTU with two shots on goal while Chloe Smith totaled three shots.
Five Golden Eagles played in the full 110 minutes.
Austin posted three saves for the shutout.
SEMO earned six corners compared to TTU's four.
The Redhawks recognized seniors Bailey Redden, Abby Rollet, Lauren Welker, Hannah Compernolle, Abby Tremain, Kate Daus and Lexi Grote prior to the game Sunday.
SIUE 3, BELMONT 0
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - For the first time since 2014, SIUE women's soccer has won a share of the Ohio Valley Conference regular season crown, as the Cougars claimed a 3-0 win at Belmont on Sunday afternoon.
The Cougars commanded the match for the majority of the contest, beginning in the 30th minute when Taylor Dolt buried the match's opening goal to put SIUE up 1-0. The Cougars doubled their lead in the 59th minute with a Maria Haro goal, and closed out the fixture in the 84th minute by completing her first brace of the 2021 campaign.
Due to the OVC tiebreakers, the Cougars have earned the Ohio Valley Conference Soccer Championship as the number two seed and will enter the tournament in the semifinal round. SIUE will play their semifinal on Friday, November 5th at 7 p.m. in Martin, Tennessee.