FIRST ROUND SCORES
#5 Tennessee Tech 1, #8 Eastern Illinois 0
#7 Southeast Missouri 1, #6 Morehead State 0
TENNESSEE TECH 1, EASTERN ILLINOIS 0
MURRAY, Ky. - A Gabby Garcia score early in the second half helped ignite the way for the Tennessee Tech soccer team, as the fifth-seeded Golden Eagles secured a 1-0 win over No. 8 Eastern Illinois in Fridays first round of the OVC Tournament.
Tech's triumph, which was the program's first postseason victory since a 3-0 nod over Belmont in the first round of the 2016 OVC Tournament, pushes the purple and gold to a date in Sunday's quarterfinal where they will lock up with No. 4 Murray State on the Racers' home pitch. First kick from Cutchin Field is set for 1 p.m. CT.
Friday's tightly-contested playoff victory also extended TTU's unbeaten streak to seven consecutive matches, surpassing the 2002 Golden Eagle club for sole possession of the second-longest unblemished stretch in program history.
After controlling nearly the entire first half behind a 6-1 shot on-goal differential in the first 45 minutes, Tech (5-5-4) finally broke free just over nine minutes into the second stanza. An Emily Carlevato throw in from the left connected with the shoe tops of Bailey Taylor slightly inside the box. After a pair of Panthers converged, Taylor gently tapped a pass to Yao Giada Zho, who promptly crossed one in the direction of Gabby Garcia on the right side of the box. Garcia corralled the feed and then blasted one into the back of the net to break the scoreless deadlock.
Leading 1-0, the Golden Eagle defense took it from there, holding the Panthers (4-11-2) to just two second-half shots. Overall, EIU attempted only five shots, with just two attempts on-frame. Isabelle Austin collected her second-consecutive shutout with two stops for her fifth clean sheet of the season and 11th of her career.
Tech attempted 10 shots in the contest, but the club's relentless attack featured eight shots on-point to tie for the second-most attempts on-goal in a match this year. The Golden Eagles spread the wealth with Garcia, Giada Zhou, Meredith Nye and Chloe Smith all leading the team with two tries apiece. Kenzie Balcerak paced the Panthers with two shots as well, while EIU keeper Faith Davies registered seven saves in defeat.
With a spot in next week's semifinals at stake, Tech and Murray State will go toe-to-toe in Sunday's quarterfinal clash at 1 p.m. CT. The two teams recently played to a 2-2 draw in the regular-season meeting on Oct. 21 in Cookeville.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 1, MOREHEAD STATE 0
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Lauren Welker's first goal of the 2021 season was all #7 Southeast Missouri (6-9-2) needed to advance to the quarterfinals of the 2021 Ohio Valley Conference Championship Tournament with a 1-0 victory over #6 Morehead State (4-10-4) Friday evening at E.S. Rose Park.
SEMO will now face #3 Belmont Sunday afternoon in the quarterfinals. First kick is set for 2 p.m., CT.
Welker converted on a nice pass from Anne-Clara Couturier in the 63rd minute of play. After her previous shot narrowly missed to the right of the goal, Welker kicked the ball into the left corner of the net far enough out of goalkeeper Michelle Jerantowski's reach to provide SEMO a 1-0 win.
A native of nearby Jackson, Missouri, Welker entered this year's OVC Tournament with a team-high 11 shots. She then snapped a streak of 13 shots without a goal when she scored her game-winner in the second half.
The goal was Welker's seventh in her career at SEMO. She finished with a team-high three shots (2 SOG) in 70 minutes on the pitch.
Couturier, a sophomore from Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, Canada, was credited with her first career assist on the play.
Elizabeth Rater also tallied a shot on target.
After SEMO placed four of its first five shots of the game on goal in a more aggressive first half, Welker took both of her team's shots in the final 45 minutes.
Jerantowski turned away all four of the Redhawks shots on goal in the opening period, including two that came off the foot of Morgan McCourt.
The Redhawks and Eagles were even in shots (7-7) and SEMO held a slight 5-4 edge in shots on goal. MSU claimed a 5-2 advantage in corner kicks.
Bailey Redden finished with four saves en route to her seventh shutout of the season. She now has 21 shutouts and 27 victories in her career at SEMO.
Redden also overtook Kindra Lierz (296 career saves, 2014-17) for the top spot in the Redhawks record books with 297 career saves.
Emma Brune, Kate Daus, Lexi Grote and Natalie Jackson played in the full 90 minutes Friday night.
Brune has now played in the full regulation on the Redhawks defense in each of the past six games.
Jackson has played in the full regulation in each of the last 11 games.
Daus appeared in the full regulation for the seventh time in 2021.
Grote has played in the full regulation five times in 2021 including back-to-back games. The senior from Granite City, Illinois, played in her 80th career game at SEMO and moves in to sole possession of second overall in SEMO program history. She entered the game tied for second in program history for games with Lisa Schweppe (2002-2005).
Katie Kiolbassa led Morehead State with two shots on goal.
SEMO and MSU played to a scoreless draw less than two weeks ago before the Redhawks' win Friday.
The Redhawks will stay in Nashville, Tennessee, to face #3 Belmont at 2 p.m. Sunday.