QUARTERFINAL SCORES
#5 Tennessee Tech 2, #4 Murray State 1
#7 Southeast Missouri 2, #3 Belmont 1
TENNESSEE TECH 2, MURRAY STATE 1
MURRAY, Ky. - Late-match dramatics with the season on the line was the name of the game Sunday afternoon, as the fifth-seeded Tennessee Tech soccer team used a penalty kick goal in the 89th minute to break a 1-1 deadlock on the way to a 2-1 victory over No. 4 Murray State in the OVC Tournament quarterfinals.
Tech's thrilling triumph pushes the purple and gold to a spot in the tourney semifinals for the first time since 2017, while TTU's second win in this year's conference tournament marks the third time in school history in which the Golden Eagles have won two playoff matches in a single season. The 2000 and 2009 Tech teams also won a pair of affairs in the OVC Tournament.
TTU's victory handed the host Racers only their second home loss of 2021, as Tech joined Cincinnati as the only two road teams to claim a win at Cutchin Field this season. The Golden Eagles (6-5-4) also run their unbeaten streak to eight straight, one shy of the program record of nine in a row set back in the 2017 campaign. Tennessee Tech did not lose a match in the month of October, going 5-0-3 over the unblemished stretch.
With Tech leading 1-0 late in regulation, Murray State (9-8-1) found a way to provide the equalizer with an Audrey Henry goal in the 86th minute to square the score at 1-1. With the match appearing destined for overtime, the Golden Eagles had other ideas in the waning moments of regulation.
A Macy Carter roller connected with Chloe Smith on the outskirts of the box on the left side. As a pair of Racers converged, Smith's nifty move landed the 5-foot-8 junior inside the box, and with her momentum carrying her toward a potential goal-scoring opportunity, Murray State's defense tripped Smith up which led to a penalty kick with less than two minutes remaining in regulation.
Cool, calm and collected, Meredith Nye stepped up and buried the attempt with a bullet that saw Racer keeper Jenna Villacres get a piece of it, but Nye's try had just enough steam on it to glide it into the back of the net for the winner. Nye's dramatic goal was her third this season and fourth of her Golden Eagle career.
Nye's winner, which came on the heels of Murray State's equalizing goal less than three minutes earlier, showcased Tech's ability to bounce back with the club's postseason lives at stake, a situation that didn't go unnoticed by Springthorpe.
Smith's offensive prowess, which made Nye's moment possible, was put on full display earlier in the match to help push the Golden Eagles to the tilt's first score. Knotted at 0-0 just over halfway through the opening stanza, Smith found a way to split the pipes in the 24th minute to break the scoreless affair. Yao Giada Zhou helped start the score with a header the banged off the lid of a Racer and in the direction of Bailey Taylor. Taylor then drilled a header that took a bounce in the box, and amid a Murray State crowd of defenders, Smith roped a try over the leaping attempt of Villacres and into the back of the net for her team-leading fourth goal of the season.
Smith's score was one of just two shots taken in the first half by the Golden Eagles. In fact, Tech was outshot 10-5 in the match and did not have a shot on-goal outside of its two net-finders in the contest. Smith and Nye led the club with two shots apiece, while Murray State's Rebecca Kubin was the match leader with three total attempts.
Isabelle Austin made six saves for her second career playoff win. Villacres did not secure a stop.
Now in the semifinals for the fourth time in the last seven seasons, the Golden Eagles will head to UT Martin to clash with the top-seeded Skyhawks in Friday's semifinal. First kick from Skyhawk Soccer Field in Martin, Tenn. is scheduled for 4 p.m. CT.
The Golden Eagles captured the regular-season meeting behind a 2-1 double overtime comeback victory on Oct. 7 in Martin. Tech trailed 1-0 late in regulation before providing the equalizer on a Bailey Taylor goal in the 69th minute. The Golden Eagles won the match with less than two minutes to go before it would have ended in a draw thanks to a Gabby Garcia goal in the 109th minute.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 2, BELMONT 1
NASHVILLE, Tenn.- Morgan McCourt registered the golden goal less than two minutes into the overtime period to send Southeast Missouri women's soccer (7-9-2) to the 2021 Ohio Valley Conference Semifinals with a 2-1 victory over #3 Belmont (8-8-1) Sunday afternoon at E.S. Rose Park.
Lauren Welker sent in a corner kick that McCourt booted in at 91:56 to secure the win for SEMO. The Redhawks converted a pair of goals on four corner kick opportunities Sunday.
With the victory, the #7-seeded Redhawks have advanced to the 2021 OVC Championship Semifinals where they will face #2 SIUE Friday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m., CT in Martin, Tennessee.
McCourt, a redshirt-junior from Burlington, Wisconsin, registered her first goal of the season and seventh in her career to lift the Redhawks past Belmont. She competed in 67 minutes on the pitch, leading the Redhawks with three shots including two on target.
SEMO and Belmont went to halftime scoreless with the Bruins outshooting the Redhawks, 5-2.
Both teams exchanged shots that sailed over the net early in the first half. McCourt hit a shot at 1:02 followed by Erin Patterson's strike on target at 3:20.
Bailey Redden tallied a pair of saves in the opening 45 minutes while Andrea Leitner made one of her three saves during the period.
Redden finished with five saves including three in the second half for her seventh win of the season and 28th in her career.
The all-time Redhawks saves leader from Belleville, Illinois, also moved to second overall in SEMO program history for minutes played. Redden now has appeared in 5,359 minutes which puts her second overall ahead of Lindsay Pickering (5,233 minutes, 2005-07) and Ashton Aubuchon (5,201 minutes, 2010-13).
Welker broke the 0-0 tie 1:18 into the second half. Kate Daus opened the play with a corner kick that found Welker after bouncing around the box. Welker found the back of the net with a left footed shot in the 47th minute.
The goal was Welker's second of the season and eighth in her career.
Welker, a senior from Jackson, Missouri, has now scored in each of the last three Redhawks OVC Championship Tournament games dating back to the 2020-21 OVC Championship Tournament Final against SIUE in Murray, Kentucky (April 17, 2021).
Welker finished Sunday's game with a goal and an assist to go along with a shot on goal in 55 minutes of action. It was her first career three-point game as a Redhawk.
Kate Daus then looked to provide the Redhawks a 2-0 advantage with a rocket from distance but Leitner was there for the save.
The Bruins then evened the game at 1-1 with a goal by Sydney Cason in the 58th minute off an assist from Haley Poynter.
Loren House then headed a shot off the woodwork in the 63rd minute.
Redden made a diving goal-saving stop in the 73rd minute on Avery Nowak's shot to keep it a 1-1 game.
Abby Tremain concluded the offense in the 90 minutes of regulation with a shot from distance but Leitner registered the stop at 81:08.
Belmont outshot the Redhawks 11-6 including a slight 6-5 edge in shots on goal.
SEMO earned four corners and was able to capitalize on two of the opportunities while Belmont had two corners.
Kiana Khedoo and Natalie Jackson were both assessed yellow cards in the 33rd and 55th minutes, respectively, in the competitive game that saw 27 total fouls (17-10 SEMO).
Emma Brune and Jackson played in the full 92 minutes Sunday.
Brune has now played in the full regulation on the Redhawks defense in each of the past seven games.
Jackson has played in the full regulation in each of the last 12 games.
Rachel Vernon and Keely Cartrett played in the full regulation for Belmont.
Nowak, Cason (2 SOG) and Patterson each had two shots for the Bruins.
Hannah Compernolle played in her 83rd career game while Lexi Grote appeared in her 81st career cap. The duo ranks first and second in SEMO program history for games played.
SEMO will next head to Martin, Tennessee, for the 2021 OVC Championship Tournament Semifinals. The Redhawks will face #2 SIUE in the second of two semifinals Friday, Nov. 5 on the campus of top-seeded UT Martin. First kick is set for 7 p.m., CT.