THURSDAY’S SCORES
Eastern Illinois 0, @Western Illinois 0
SIUE 0, @Southern Indiana 0
@Tennessee Tech 3, UT Martin 2
EASTERN ILLINOIS 0, WESTERN ILLINOIS 0
MACOMB, Ill. - Western faced off with familiar foe Eastern Illinois on Tuesday night, with both squads looking to add three points to their season total. It was a crucial game for both sides, as Eastern entered the game in seventh place in the conference, and Western in tenth. As finishing in the top eight secures a spot in the OVC tournament, the Panthers and Leathernecks looked to better their OVC positions.
Eastern had a chance in open field in just the third minute of play, but missed wide to keep the score level at zero. The Leathernecks were eager to get out attacking early, as they tallied six shots inside the first 24 minutes of play. Western's aggressive play was an encouraging sign, but they were unable to score as the Panthers played great defense inside the box.
Hana Daoudi played a crucial role in the Leathernecks' early attacks, as she sent in multiple crosses and got through defenders with ease. Coach Josée Primeau said of her play that "Hana has been a constant force throughout the fall, and her discipline and work ethic is unmatched." Daoudi played all ninety minutes of the match on the wing, and even switched sides in the second half as she helped jump-start attacking possessions for the 'Necks.
Sachiko Gamo played one of her best matches of the year as well, playing the full ninety minutes. Gamo was absolutely relentless in the box on Thursday, as she tallied four shots on target, but was unlucky and couldn't see one get in the back of the net. Coach Primeau stated about the junior from Otsu, Japan that "she has been really good for us this year. Sachi made a lot of good things happen today, and gave the offense some life to allow us to have more of a presence offensively."
EIU was on the attacking end often in the second half, but the Leathernecks have been one of the best teams in the OVC defensively in 2023. EIU got four shots off of a corner kick in the 80th minute, but Leatherneck keeper Isabel Navas Rodriguez ensure that nothing would get into the back of the net. The senior from Madrid finished with seven saves in the match. The Panthers got a pair of corner kicks in the final minute, but were not able to get a shot off. With under twenty seconds left, Kayla Turner nearly got a shot to go in, but it was just off as the Leathernecks finished with a 0-0 draw.
SIUE 0, SOUTHERN INDIANA 0
EVANSVILLE, Ind. - SIUE women's soccer battled to a third consecutive tie with a 0-0 contest Thursday at Southern Indiana.
Taylor Spiller collected her third shutout of the season and finished with one save. Anna Markland had five saves in goal for Southern Indiana.
SIUE, which has allowed just one goal over the last three contests, now stands at 4-5-4 overall and 2-1-3 in the Ohio Valley Conference. Southern Indiana moves to 4-6-5 overall and 3-1-2 in the OVC.
Macie Begley and Kaitlyn Nichols each had two shots off the bench for the Cougars. SIUE outshot Southern Indiana 8-6 overall.
TENNESSEE TECH 3, UT MARTIN 2
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - A five-goal second half that featured three different lead changes ultimately saw the Tennessee Tech soccer team score within the final two minutes to cap off a thrilling comeback in a 3-2 victory over UT Martin in Thursday evening's in-state tangle at Tech Soccer Field.
Squared away at 2-2 in the 89th minute, Bailey Taylor split the pipes for the game-winning goal to help keep the purple and gold as the OVC's only undefeated team, and in the process, run Tech's overall unbeaten streak to eight straight, tying the 2021 squad for the second-longest surge in school history. The Golden Eagles (6-4-4, 5-0-1 OVC) have now gone unbeaten in 20-straight OVC regular-season contests dating back to the beginning of October 2021.
Taylor's dramatics pushed Tech to the finish line after Yao Giada Zhou provided the equalizing goal in the 77th minute for the San Michele al Tagliamento, Italy native's second net-finder of the seesaw affair. Giada Zhou started the scoring with a penalty-kick goal in the 54th minute, before UT Martin responded by finding the back of the net twice in a three-minute span to go ahead 2-1 for TTU's first deficit in a match since Sept. 7 at UAB, a stretch of 702 minutes of game action.
After a scoreless first half that saw the Golden Eagles blank a team in the first stanza for the ninth-consecutive match, Tech wasted no time in jumping on the board early in the second period. Katie Toney, who created opportunities for the purple and gold all night, was taken down inside the box to lead TTU to a penalty-kick chance. Cool, calm and collected, Giada Zhou buried the try in the upper-left corner of the net to unwrap the scoring.
The Skyhawks (5-7-3, 2-2-2 OVC) battled back, first knotting the tilt on a breakaway goal by Makayla Robinson in the 69th minute, before officially taking their first lead of the contest mere moments later. Peyton Cook set up Rachel Okoro on the right side of the box in the 72nd minute and Okoro wasted no time with a drive that deflected off of a Golden Eagle and into the back of the net to push UTM to a 2-1 edge. Cook collected an assist on the go-ahead goal.
Despite Tech facing its first deficit in over a month, the Golden Eagles refused to be denied, and did so rather quickly with the equalizer five minutes later. Melina Hamm fed Sami Cullum, who promptly drilled a lengthy ball to the edge of the box and to the waiting shoe tops of Giada Zhou. The senior midfielder used a quick touch to split the pipes in the 77th minute for her second score of the evening and OVC-leading sixth of the year. Hamm tallied her third assist of the season on the play, while Cullum registered her second helper.
In the waning moments of regulation, the Golden Eagles officially went on top for good behind Taylor's dramatic score for TTU's latest goal in a match this year. The winner was made possible from Neve Renwick, who distributed a feed that led Taylor in front of the net, before the senior forward took care of the rest that put Taylor in rarified air. Not only is the goal the fifth of her swan-song campaign, but Taylor's take places the Powell, Tenn. product in a three-way tie with Andrea Meloff (2009-12) and Robyn Vince (2001-02) for fifth place on the program's career scoring list with 17 goals.
Renwick, who assisted on Taylor's game-winning goal, compiled a career-high 10 shots in the tilt, the most by an OVC player in a single contest this season. Toney tallied a career-high six attempts as well. Cook paced the Skyhawks with four tries, all of which were on-goal.
Maggie Conrad secured six saves in the victory, while Poppy Bastock fended off 10 Tech attempts.