FRIDAY'S SCORES
Tennessee Tech 2, @Jacksonville State 1
@Morehead State 3, Austin Peay 2 (2OT)
@SIUE 1, Belmont 1
Murray State 3, @Southeast Missouri 1
@UT Martin 5, Eastern Kentucky 1
TENNESSEE TECH 2, JACKSONVILLE STATE 1
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - The Tennessee Tech soccer team saved its best for last, as the Golden Eagles erased a 1-0 deficit with two goals in the final 12 minutes to walk out of JSU with a dramatic 2-1 victory Friday afternoon.
Tech's late-stage heroics snapped a five-match slide, while the club's two scores marked a season-high for the purple and gold. With one tilt remaining in the regular season, the Golden Eagles (4-5-0) are still the only team in the OVC that has not allowed more than one goal in a match this spring.
Trailing 1-0 late in regulation, Tech found a spark when it needed it most, courtesy of Gabby Garcia. Responsible for the club's last goal, an overtime winner on Mar. 12 against Eastern Illinois, the 5-foot-3 freshman made her move into the box, hoping for a chance at the equalizer.
As Garcia maneuvered to the right side of the box, a trio of Gamecocks converged. Cool, calm and collected, the Golden Eagle rookie spun a low drive that just snuck inside the far-side post to push the purple and gold even in the 79th minute. Garcia's unassisted score made her the only Golden Eagle with two net-finders this spring.
No more than 10 minutes later, with the match seemingly destined for overtime, Tech made it known that it had other ideas. Garcia sprung into action again after claiming possession and scooting it across midfield with space in front of her. The Elizabethtown, Ky. product connected with Chloe Smith along the left side, and after Smith entered the box, the 5-foot-8 junior put a perfect pass right in front of the net and onto the waiting shoe tops of Bailey Taylor.
Taylor took advantage of the opportunity with a quick shot that found the back of the net and gave the Golden Eagles their first lead in a match since Garcia's game-winner on Mar. 12. Taylor's score was her first of the season, and fifth of her career, while Smith collected her first assist of the campaign on the go-ahead goal.
Jacksonville State (3-5-1) took an early lead in the tilt behind a goal in the 15th minute that unwrapped the scoring. The Gamecocks capitalized on a corner kick, using an Alicia Pallister cross that found Gabriel Clarke inside the box. With heavy Golden Eagle traffic converging, Clarke hooked up with Isobal Spary near the net and Spray took care of the rest with a shot that split that pipes to propel JSU to the early edge.
Spray's score was the first of the season for the Selby, England native, while Pallister and Clakre both earned assists on the play.
The Golden Eagles produced 12 shots in the match, led by Smith's career-high seven, including a team-best three shots on-goal. The Gamecocks racked up 17 shots, paced by Kyle Wells' five. Ida Cedarbug notched a club-high two shots on-goal.
Isabelle Austin secured four saves in the contest. JSU's Morgan Lerch generated five stops across the way.
MORHEAD STATE 3, AUSTIN PEAY 2
MOREHEAD, Ky. - Morehead State Soccer honored the careers of five seniors in style with a 3-2 double overtime victory against Austin Peay. After falling behind 2-0 early, the Eagles recovered to score three unanswered goals to conclude its home schedule in front of an electric Jayne Stadium crowd.
MSU said goodbye to seniors Meghan Arnett, Tia Williams, Lauryn Kunz, Katie Quinn, and Ashley Ritchie tonight before sending them off with one to remember as a late penalty kick goal by Colleen Swift sent the crowd home elated by a Morehead State victory.
Eva Kiper's four total shots (three on goal) led the Eagles as she earned her first goal and assist of the season. Her one goal, one assist performance marked the first occurrence of this feat since Colleen Swift did so on October 12, 2018, against Tennessee Tech.
SIUE 1, BELMONT 1
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - Maria Haro netted a goal in the 87th minute and held Belmont scoreless for more than 70 minutes, as SIUE women's soccer split the points against Belmont on Friday night.
Belmont struck first, as Julie Garst scored in the 38th minute to put the Bruins up 1-0. The visitors would hold that lead up until the final moments of regulation, as Haro took a pass from Lily Schnieders to net her first goal of the season with just over 120 seconds before the final whistle. The Cougars would record a season-high 26 shots, while the SIUE backline held Belmont to just six total shots.
MURRAY STATE 3, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 1
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Murray State women's soccer closed out a two-game road trip in style on Friday night when they collided with Southeast Missouri. Despite falling behind in the 11th minute of the contest, the Racers stormed back with three unanswered goals to capture a 3-1 victory and an outright Ohio Valley Conference regular season championship in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
"We've been behind a lot this season, but we've had full faith and trust in our team to claw our way back in the game. We knew it was never going to be a one-nil game. Kubin came up big to equalize, and then the two goals from Lilly Strader were just fantastic…I think it's the best we've knocked the ball around all season," said MSU head coach Matt Lodge.
The Racers fell behind in the early stages after MSU defender Saraya Young was whistled for handling the ball inside the penalty area. Murray State goalkeeper Jenna Villacres saved the ensuing penalty kick, but SEMO's Lauren Welker was able to put away the rebound as the Redhawks owned a 1-0 lead in the 11th minute.
Murray State found its equalizer in the 26th minute when Rebecca Kubin found the net for the fourth time this season. Defender Saraya Young played a perfectly-weighted ball from the back line that was flicked on by Hailey Cole before Kubin took it down and slotted the ball past the keeper to even the game at 1-1.
The 1-1 score line would remain unchanged as the game entered halftime while the Racers outshot the Redhawks 5-4 with each side earning a single corner in attack through the first 45 minutes of action.
With less than four minutes gone in the second half, the Racers pulled in front when Lilly Strader received a pass from Camille Barber before firing a laser past the Redhawk goalkeeper as Murray State owned a 2-1 advantage in the 49th minute.
Strader went on to put the game away in the 88th when her strike soared into the top corner as her second goal of the evening gave the Racers a two-goal cushion with just two minutes remaining.
Allowing just one shot in the second half, the Racer defense stifled the Redhawk attack, while sophomore goalkeeper Jenna Villacres collected two saves in the contest.
For Kubin, the goal is her 26th in a Racer uniform as she takes over sole possession of the #5 spot on Murray State's all-time scoring list. She passes Jackie Thomas' (2000-03) 25 to break into the top five.
For Strader, two goals meant the first multi-goal performance of her career, while the assists for Camille Barber and Saraya Young were also their first career assists. Hailey Cole also picked up her second assist of the campaign in the win.
For the Racers, the OVC title is their fifth (2008, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2020-21) regular season crown. Clinching the #1 seed with one match left to play, the Racers also earned the right to host this year's OVC Tournament which will take place on April 15th (semifinals) and April 17th (Final) where they will seek their fifth (2009, 2015, 2017, 2018) OVC Tournament trophy.
UT MARTIN 5, EASTERN KENTUCKY 1
MARTIN, Tenn. - The Eastern Kentucky University soccer team fell at UT Martin, 5-1, on Friday night at Skyhawk Soccer Field.
The loss snaps EKU’s (4-5-0) three-game winning streak.
UTM’s Emely van der Vliet scored twice in the first 13 minutes of action to stake the hosts to a commanding early lead. Jill Hildreth added another goal in the 20th minute to give UT Martin (5-3-1) a 3-0 advantage.
Sophomore Audrey Anderson cut into the deficit in the 26th minute. Her second goal of the season made it 3-1, UTM.
However, that was all EKU was able to put on the board. Hildreth and van der Vliet scored again in the closing minutes to provide the Skyhawks with some insurance.
EKU attempted 17 shots in the game, nine of which were on frame. The Colonels also earned seven corner kicks on the night.
Sophomore Michaela Iacono led the Colonels with four shots, while Anderson and sophomore Maddy Lemery both fired three shots against the Skyhawks.