Ohio Valley Conference

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - The Morehead State women's soccer team was unable to recapture its 2024 road success in its opening game away from home this season as it fell to Chattanooga 2-0 on Sunday at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga, Tenn.

The Eagles could not build off the momentum of their win a week ago against Austin Peay, as the Blue and Gold allowed an early goal and then another right before halftime in falling to the Mocs. Morehead State (1-2-0) struggled to find its offense all day as it only mustered five shots, which tied a season low.

The Blue and Gold started off the game as the aggressor, but Chattanooga (3-1-0) took control after the first few minutes and never let up. The hosts held a 9-4 edge in first-half shots and possessed the ball for the largest percentage of the opening 45 minutes.

All three of the Eagles' games to date have featured one team going scoreless. MSU has tallied just one goal this season, while surrendering five. After three games last year, the Eagles were 1-1-1 and were outscored 5-2.

Morehead State has also struggled in games after having a week off. The team is 0-3-2 since the start of 2024 coming off a break.

Chattanooga's Quinn Johnson found Clarissa Salinas by sliding the ball to a space in the middle of several defenders. Then Salinas took a straight on shot that went past MSU's diving goalkeeper Claire Cress and inside the left post from 16 yards away at the 5:23 mark to begin the scoring.

The Mocs picked up their second goal in the 39th minute. After making multiple passes inside MSU's defensive zone, Paige Thomas got free behind the Eagle back line and slid an 8-yard shot past Cress from just outside the left corner of the goal box to the right post. Cress came off the line to challenge the shot. Caroline Richvalsky and Karoline Lauritsen were credited with assists on the play.

MSU had a few chances but only two were on frame, including a 22-yarder by senior Kennedy Baquero that forced UTC keeper Caroline Ekern to punch the ball over the goal bar in the 16th minute.

The hosts had several additional chances to add to their lead. Cress faced 19 shots and made seven saves, the second highest total of her career.

As in every Morehead State game so far this year, there were hydration breaks near the midpoint of each half.

Chattanooga dominated the statistics, leading in shots (19-5), corner kicks (10-1) and offside flags (5-0). UTC did have more fouls 9-5, but MSU had the lone yellow card.

Sophomore forward Carly Gilbert had a team-best two shots for the Eagles. Richvalsky had five to lead the hosts. Salinas and Thomas each added three.

Cress fell to 1-2-0 on the season. Ekern made two saves and raised her record to 3-1-0.

The Mocs controlled the ball for 61 percent of the afternoon and kept it inside MSU's defensive half for 63 percent of their possession time. Morehead State had the ball on UTC's side of the field for 39 percent of its time with the ball.

Chattanooga improved to 3-0 at home this year and now has more victories at Finley Stadium than it did all of last season. It also snapped a four-game winless skid against the Eagles that dates back to 2004. MSU had outscored the Mocs 4-1 since that meeting and held them scoreless in the last three contests. Overall, UTC leads the series 4-2-2 and 3-1-1 at home.

AKRON 5, SOUTHERN INDIANA 3
AKRON, Ohio - University of Southern Indiana Women's Soccer found the scoring column with a trio of goals at the University of Akron on Sunday afternoon, but it was not enough as the Screaming Eagles were edged 5-3 in an offensive shootout against the Zips.

For the third straight outing, USI totaled a flurry of shots with 17 attempts on Sunday. Five were on goal, with three going in. Redshirt sophomore forward Eva Boer led the team with four shots and two on target, including the first tally of the season. Freshman midfielder Haley Kocher was second on the team with three shots, including one on goal.

Akron recorded its five goals on 10 total shots and six on frame.

After both teams came out trying to settle into the match and a pair of early shots by Akron, the host Zips struck first with a header goal in the 15th minute to grab a 1-0 lead.

Five minutes later, USI answered and evened the game, 1-1. A cross that deflected off the post and was tapped back by sophomore forward Josie Pochocki was then headed into the net by Boer for the first goal of the season for the Screaming Eagles.

A penalty-kick goal by Akron in the 31st minute put the Zips back in front. Once again, USI had a quick response as freshman defender Tierney Mullady slotted in a corner-kick pass from junior forward Grace Bamber to tie the game, 2-2.

However, Akron went into halftime ahead 3-2 after another goal in the 38th minute.

It was not long into the second half that the Screaming Eagles drew all square at 3-3 when senior forward Peyton Murphy rifled a shot from over 30 yards out into the top corner of the goal with 51:51 on the clock.

The offensive shootout continued as Akron jumped back ahead, 4-3, with a goal nearly 10 minutes later. 

USI continued its recent high-shooting prowess from over the last few matches, but the Eagles could not tie the game once more. The Zips added an insurance goal in the 81st minute to seal the win.

NORTHERN IOWA 4, WESTERN ILLINOIS 0
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa - The Western Illinois Women's Soccer team went on the road to face UNI for the Leathernecks' first road match of the year. 

The Leathernecks, coming off a 5-0 loss to Drake on Thursday, looked to bounce back against the Panthers, who went into the game (0-1-1).  

UNI had a perfect start on Sunday afternoon, scoring 3 minutes into the match. UNI did not see another goal until the 37th minute, which kicked off their run of consecutive goals to end the half up 4-0. 

The Leathernecks, down 4-0 at half, tightened up on defense and did not allow a goal the entire second half, though the damage from the first half had already been done.

Over the whole match, Western Illinois lost the shot battle, 2-27. UNI had ten shots on goal compared to none from the Leathernecks, and the Panthers also won the corner battle, 7-1. 

Six players played over 80 minutes in Sunday's match, with 18 players seeing game action in the contest.

The Leathernecks will look to bounce back against Illinois State on Thursday in another road match. The Redbirds have had a rough start to their season and will be looking for their first win after starting 0-3.

LINDENWOOD 0, OMAHA 0
ST. CHARLES, Mo. - The Lindenwood women's soccer team (3-0-1, 0-0-0 OVC) battled Omaha (2-0-2, 0-0-0 Summit) to a 0-0 draw at Hunter Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The gritty performance makes it four unbeaten to begin the season for the Lions.

Lindenwood got off four shots in the first half, with Tasneem Dizdarevic and Maddy Vasiloff recording two attempts apiece. Dizdarevic was responsible for LU's only shot on goal of the half in the game's eleventh minute.

The Lions earned four opportunities from the corner compared to zero for the Mavericks but were unable to convert any of them for scores.

Despite controlling 61% of the possession in the first half, Omaha only posted one more shot than Lindenwood and no goals, with Caroline Ritter making three saves through the first 45.  

The second half was much the same offensively for Lindenwood, with Mackenzie Compton and Lily Sutter each posting a pair of shots. Compton got a good look at goal from outside the box that carried just over the post in the game's 61st minute, while Sutter recorded the Lions' second shot goal in the contest's closing minutes.

Omaha took a more aggressive approach in the second half, recording a total of nine shots. However, their best opportunity on goal was turned away by Caroline Ritter, who made a diving save on a ball low and away to her left. Ritter was mostly untested for the remainder of the match, as she finished the afternoon with a season-high eight saves and turned in her second clean sheet of the season.

BALL STATE 4, EASTERN ILLINOIS 0
CHARLESTON, Ill. - Abby Reinl had a good scoring chance for Eastern Illinois turned away midway through the first half.
 
Ball State then capitalized on its good first half scoring opportunity with Addie Chester scoring the first of her two goals in the match.
 
BSU would add on three more goals in the second half, two coming in the final nine minutes, as they beat Eastern Illinois 4-0 on Sunday at Lakeside Field.
 
Reinl had two of the Panthers four shots on goal with the good scoring chance in the first half stopped by BSU keeper Abby Jenkins. 
 
Kate Germano and Alex Tetteh added the other two EIU shots on goal in the match.
 
Chester played a factor in three of the four Cardinals goals.  She assisted on an Emily Roper goal in the 81st minute and scored her second goal in the 85th minute.   BSU's other goal came in the 65th minute by Tori Monaco off a corner kick.
 
EIU falls to 1-3 on the season while Ball State improved to 1-2.

MISSOURI STATE 4, SIUE 2
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - Three early goals proved to be the difference Sunday as Missouri State defeated SIUE women's soccer 4-2 at Korte Stadium.

The nonconference contest dropped SIUE to 1-2-1 for the season.

The Bears, 1-2-1, pushed hard early against the Cougars, scoring in the second minute of the contest with Julia Kristensen scoring from eight yards out from Abby Hansen. Hansen would have an assist on the second goal by Reilly Heman and scored one of her own unassisted at 18:17.

SIUE broke free with a score from Audrey Roberts at 30:48. The Cougars went right down the middle against Missouri State goalkeeper Ella Becker on a pass from Anna Zichella.

Missouri State made it 4-1 at halftime on a penalty kick at 37:27.

The Cougars had the upper hand in the second half with three corner kicks and finishing even on shots over the final 45 minutes.

Amanda Dean provided some excitement for the Cougars fans with a dandy shot over the goalkeeper's left shoulder from 20 yards out. Sydney Lane earned the assist.

MURRAY STATE 1, TENNESSEE TECH 0
MURRAY, Ky. - Tennessee Tech was able to get more chances on goal than Murray State was able to on Sunday afternoon at Cutchin Field, but the former conference foe Racers were able to get one in during the 67th minute to take a 1-0 edge.

The Golden Eagles fall to 0-4-0 on the season. Tech returns home Thursday for a visit from future conference foe East Tennessee State. Admission to all games at Tech Soccer Field is free to the public.

Murray State outshot Tech 17-to-11, but the Golden Eagles were more on target, edging the on-goal tally 5-4. However, that edge was nullified in the 67th minute as Breece Bass was able to knock the lone goal into the net from a feed by Megan Wilson.

The first half went nil-nil as both sides collected eight total shots, but the Racers took the advantage in the second set of 45 minutes, outshooting the Golden Eagles 9-3. The game also got physical as Murray State (2-2-0) was whistled for 11 fouls – five in the first half and six in the second. Tech had two in the opening stanza, then five in the second half.

Claire Palya and Lucia Cuadra each had two tries on Racer keeper Griselda Revolorio, while Ebba Melin also sniped one toward the goal for a save.

Maggie Conrad had three saves in the contest, stopping tries on goal from Bass, Wilson and Sydney Etter.

UT MARTIN 0, AUSTIN PEAY 0
MARTIN, Tenn. - Despite taking a season-high 20 shots, Sunday's match between the University of Tennessee at Martin Soccer team and Austin Peay ended in a scoreless draw. It marks the third tie in as many games to start the season for the Skyhawks and the second consecutive scoreless draw.

A season-high 10 of UT Martin's 20 shots on the night found their target Sunday, compared to seven total shots and four on goal for Austin Peay. Unni Wolf led all shot takers in the game with four shots, including two on target, while Kylee Thompson had three shots and two on goal. Peyton Cook also had two on target in the match, accounting for both of her shots on the night

Mac Titus recorded her second straight clean sheet in goal in the match by playing the full 90 minutes and making four saves.