Soccer splits weekend, improves to 3-5 in OVC

The Tech soccer team split last weekend’s conference games with a loss Oct. 19 to Austin Peay State University and a win Oct. 21 over Murray State University.
The split brings the Golden Eagles’ conference record to 3-5 with two Ohio Valley Conference games left before the tournament starts Nov. 1.
“In our conference, there are no easy games,” said freshman goal keeper Jordan Brown.
Austin Peay’s Tatiana Ariza scored the two goals for Austin Peay in last Friday’s match. Her first goal came at 49:02 and the second at 54:58.
Ariza is the OVC’s leader in goals and assists, and the two she scored on Tech’s Brown were enough to seal the win for the Governors.
“Tatiana Ariza was a force to reckon with, but it is important to treat each game with the same mentality,” Brown said.
Despite giving up the two goals to Ariza in the 2-0 loss to Austin Peay, Brown saved 12 shots on goal in that game and five more in Sunday’s game against Murray State University, bringing her season total to 114. That puts her in second place among OVC net-minders.
“She has been a major reason we have been close in all our games this season,” Daniel Brizard, head coach, said.
During Sunday’s game, Julie Mooney scored the Racers’ only goal at 22:01 to give Murray State an early 1-0 lead over the Golden Eagles.
However, the Racers’ lead did not last long.
Senior forward Andrea Meloff scored the tying goal on a quick cross from senior Ellie Iaciofano at 24:42.
But Iaciofano did not stop there.
She recorded her second assist of the game on a pass to senior midfielder Sarah Gawthrop for her third goal of the season at 44:07.
Gawthrop’s goal gave Tech a 2-1 lead which proved to be enough to hold off the Racers and send the Golden Eagles home with a victory.
“If we can continue to play for the name on the front of our jersey and have the same intensity throughout the whole game I believe that we can come away with two conference wins and an OVC appearance,” Brown said.
Southeast Missouri State University comes to Cookeville Oct. 26, and the Golden Eagles travel to the University of Tennessee at Martin Oct. 28 to close out the season and the rest of OVC play.