TUESDAY'S SCORES
@Murray State 1, Tennessee Tech 0
Eastern Kentucky 2, @Eastern Illinois 0
@UT Martin 1, Jacksonville State 1
@Southeast Missouri 3, SIUE 3
@Belmont 1, Austin Peay 0
MURRAY STATE 1, TENNESSEE TECH 0
MURRAY, Ky. - Murray State women’s soccer returned home to host Tennessee Tech on match day seven of ten on Tuesday afternoon. The Racers (6-1) returned to their winning ways, grinding out a 1-0 victory over the Golden Eagles at Cutchin Field in Murray, Ky.
With possession relatively even through early stages of the game as both sides looked to get a read on the opposition, the Racers would be the team to make the breakthrough when they got on the score sheet in the 20th minute.
TTU goalkeeper Isabelle Austin fouled Abby Jones just inside the penalty area, and sophomore Lauren Payne converted the ensuing penalty kick to put the Racers in front with 25 minutes remaining in the first half of action.
The Racers continued to control the tempo through the remainder of the first half, owning 60% of the possession through the first 45 minutes.
Jenna Villacres refused to concede in goal for the Racers as the sophomore goalkeeper made five second-half saves to keep the Golden Eagles scoreless. While she came up with highlight-reel plays on more than one occasion, leading the way was a brilliant stop in the 71st minute to deny Tennessee Tech’s Meg Ivey from a one-touch finish inside the six-yard box.
Murray State calmly managed the game in the final stages to preserve the clean-sheet victory, improving to 6-1 while extending their OVC home winning streak to nine matches dating back to the first conference contest of the 2019 season.
Payne’s penalty-kick goal is her second of the season and the second from the spot in as many opportunities as the Louisville, Kentucky native collected her fourth career goal.
Villacres made six total saves on the day to record her second clean sheet of the season.
EASTERN KENTUCKY 2, EASTENR ILLINOIS 0
CHARLESTON, Ill. - The Eastern Kentucky University soccer team went on the road and rolled past Eastern Illinois, 2-0, on Tuesday afternoon at Lakeside Field.
It is EKU's second shutout in its past four games.
The Colonels (2-4-0) were powered by goals from sophomore Michaela Iacono and senior Claire Hicks.
Iacono struck in the eighth minute, taking a pass from sophomore Audrey Anderson, turning and flicking a perfectly-placed ball past the EIU goalkeeper and into the upper right corner of the net.
It was Iacono's team-leading second goal, and Anderson's second assist of the season.
Eastern Illinois (1-6-0) applied pressure in the second half, but the EKU backline held. Senior center back Katie Shaffer notably stepped up and made a save in the box to preserve the shutout.
In the 71st minute, Hicks delivered the insurance goal. The senior defender took a pass from freshman Kylie Fitzgerald and fired an incredible strike from distance that sailed over the EIU keeper's outstretched hands and into the net.
It was Hick's first career goal and Fitzgerald's first career assist.
Led by Shaffer (90 minutes) and Hicks (87 minutes), the EKU defense limited EIU to only two shots on goal in the game. Fitzgerald also went the distance in the midfield.
Senior goalkeeper Billie Clark made two saves to earn her first clean sheet of the year.
The Colonels are now 6-0-1 in their last seven games against Eastern Illinois.
UT MARTIN 1, JACKSONVILLE STATE 1
MARTIN, Tenn. - The Jacksonville State soccer team played to a 1-1 draw with UT Martin on Tuesday evening in Ohio Valley Conference women's soccer action.
Both clubs moved to 2-3-1 on the season and pick up a point with the draw towards qualifying for the OVC Soccer Championship. JSU, who kept its unbeaten streak intact, returns to action on Friday, hosting Morehead State at the JSU Soccer Field. Admission is free.
In a equal match on a blistery day on the pitch, both sides were active offensively, but also saw great play defensively and from both goalkeepers. The Gamecocks were effective on offense in the first 45 minutes with nine of their 13 shots in the first half. The Skyhawks were limited to four chances in the opening half, but finished with 10 shots in the second half to hold a 17-13 edge in total shots. UTM had the only three shots in the two 10-minute overtime sessions.
After a scoreless 74 minutes, both teams netted the only two goals of the contest within a span of two minutes. The Skyhawks took the lead on a header from Alice Adams after the ball was crossed from the left side.
JSU quickly answered in the 76th minute after a rebound from a Alicia Pallister shot found the foot of Gabriel Clarke. Clarke was able to flick the loose ball into the net on the left side of the goal. Clarke has now scored three goals in the last three matches, including two last Tuesday at Eastern Kentucky.
Ida Cederberg, Ali Thomas and Kylie Wells had multiple shots in the contest with Cederberg and Thomas leading the way with three shots.
Redshirt junior Morgan Lerch continued to be solid in goal with seven saves on the day.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 3, SIUE 3
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - After falling behind by three goals with 41 minutes gone in the opening half, SIUE women's soccer scored three unanswered to secure a 3-3 draw at Southeast Missouri on Tuesday night.
The host Southeast Missouri Redhawks started off strong, scoring in the 11th, 13th, and 41st minutes to go up 3-0. Ashlin West netted her third goal of the season just 62 seconds later to pull one back and give the Cougars momentum heading into the second half. And that momentum would result in two SIUE second-half goals - the first coming in the 64th minute, as freshman Matea Diekema notched her first collegiate goal with a shot from 20 yards out, and the game-tying goal coming in the 81st minute, as Lily Schnieders neatly recorded her third on the year. Both squads had chances to score in the overtime periods, but the fixture would end in a 3-3 draw.
The Cougars registered 20 total shots, nine more than their opponents, and also led the match in shots on goal (12) and corners (11). SIUE goalkeeper Taylor Spiller recorded six saves on the night and Kayla Klipsch assisted on the game-tying goal, her third assist of the season.
BELMONT 1, AUSTIN PEAY 0
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Belmont defeated visting Austin Peay, 1-0, on Tuesday night. With the win the Bruins improved to 4-3 on the season while the Governors dropped to 2-5.
Julie Garst scored the lone goal in the match at the 10:45 mark. It marked her first goal of the season. Sarah Doyle made six saves for the Bruins in the shutout.
Clarie Larose led APSU with five shots, including two on-goal.