THURSDAY'S SCORES
@Morehead State 1, Tennessee Tech 0
@Murray State 2, Southeast Missouri 1
@Belmont 2, Austin Peay 0
@UT Martin 4, Eastern Illinois 1
MOREHEAD STATE 1, TENNESSEE TECH 0
MOREHEAD, Ky. - Sophomore forward Kate Larbes was taken down in the box on a play in the 81st minute and promptly buried a penalty kick to lead the Morehead State soccer team to a 1-0 victory over Tennessee Tech in a Thursday night home match.
The Eagles, who improved to 3-5-3 and 1-0-1 in the OVC, matched their best conference start since 2014. TTU slipped to 1-5-1 and 0-2 in the league.
Larbes, who tied for the team lead in shots with two, got a crossing pass from junior Abby VanHoeve at her feet in the box just before the start of the 81st minute and was tackled at the top of the box, resulting in the whistle on TTU. She then slammed home the PK into the lower right corner for her second goal of the season - and her career.
Morehead State is now three-for-three on penalty kick opportunities in 2021.
The Eagles out-shot Tennessee Tech 11-8 overall and forced the Golden Eagles into only one true shot on goal, which goalkeeper Michelle Jerantowski saved. The Eagle keeper has now recorded three shutouts this fall.
Tennessee Tech opened the game looking like it might threaten with an early goal. A trio of shots in the first 6:07 had Jerantowski and the Eagle back line on alert, but all three sailed wide.
MSU also led in corner kick tries 6-5, with three of the Golden Eagles' attempts from the edge coming in the final five minutes.
MURRAY STATE 2, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 1
MURRAY, Ky. - Elizabeth Rater registered the equalizer early in the second half but it wasn't enough as Southeast Missouri women's soccer (3-7-0, 0-2-0 OVC) fell to conference rival Murray State (6-4-0, 1-0-0 OVC), 2-1, Thursday afternoon at Cutchin Field.
Trailing at the break 1-0, Rater knotted the contest with a header in the 47th minute. Katelyn Miller of Jackson, Missouri, fed Rater for her first career assist as a Redhawk.
For Rater, a freshman from Mequon, Wisconsin, the strike was her second career goal after finding the back of the net against Maryville on Aug. 22. She led all SEMO substitutes Thursday with 40 minutes on the pitch.
The Racers tallied the game winner at 67:50. Rebecca Kubin beat goalkeeper Bailey Redden on a one-on-one opportunity to provide Murray State the win.
Kubin paced MSU with two shots on goal. Saraya Young notched a game-high three shots.
MSU outshot the Redhawks, 13-8, but shots on goal were tied at 5-5. SEMO had a 5-4 edge in shots in the second half.
Murray State grabbed a 1-0 lead in the 35th minute off a corner kick opportunity. Lauren Payne found the left corner of the net after an initial nod by Gracey Pack.
Payne finished with three points (1g-1a) on two shots (one shot on goal).
Kate Daus took a shot from distance at 3:36 but it was stopped.
The Redhawks looked to be threatening in the 42nd minute off a cross by Gabby Gscheidmeier. Gscheidmeier found Kennedy Jones whose shot was blocked by Villacres.
The Racers led the shot differential, 9-3, at halftime with a slight 4-3 advantage in shots on goal.
Abby Tremain, Daus and Jones each had a shot on goal in the first half for the Redhawks.
Both Redden and Jenna Villacres each made three saves in the opening 45 minutes.
Villacres would add one more save in the second period for four total saves in the win. Redden tallied three saves for SEMO.
Lauren Welker, Emma Brune, Daus, and Natalie Jackson each played in the full 90 minutes Thursday.
Brune, a sophomore from Cape Girardeau, Missouri, extended her streak of playing every minute of regulation to 22-straight games dating back to this past spring's 2020-21 season.
For Welker, it was her third consecutive game, not leaving the pitch. She had a team-high two shots including one on target.
Jackson has now played in every minute of the last three games for SEMO.
For Daus it was third second 90 minute game in 2021 after playing the full regulation at Mississippi State (Aug. 29) and at Evansville (Sept. 2).
Kiana Khedoo posted a shot in the second half but it missed left of target.
Maddie Paulson made her second-straight start on defense. The sophomore from Jackson, Wisconsin, finished with 53 minutes, splitting time with Gscheidmeier (37 minutes).
Miller compiled her third career start as a Redhawk Thursday.
She was assessed a yellow card in the 58th minute.
Murray State had five corners compared to SEMO's three.
Six Racers field players competed in the full 90 minutes.
BELMONT 2, AUSTIN PEAY 0
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Belmont University defeats conference matchup Austin Peay University in exciting 2-0 win. The Bruins are now 2-0 in conference play. First goal of the match was sent into the box by Leah Firsdon, headed down by Summer Curtis to the feet of Natalie Haverland sending it past the governors goalkeeper. The second goal of the night was scored by Mai Thy Nguyen off of a cross by Haley Poynter. Both goals were scored in the second half of the match.
More to come...
UT MARTIN 4, EASTERN ILLINOIS 1
MARTIN, Tenn. - Recap coming soon.