Golden Eagle soccer back at home to open Ohio Valley Conference play this weekend
After a grueling nine-game non-conference schedule which featured a seven-game road trip, the Tennessee Tech soccer team will return to Cookeville to open up Ohio Valley Conference play against UT Martin on Sept. 25, and Murray State on Sept. 27.
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - After a grueling nine-game non-conference
slate which featured three matches against NCAA tournament teams
from a season ago and a seven-game road trip, the Tennessee Tech
soccer team will return to Cookeville to open up Ohio Valley
Conference play against UT Martin on Sept. 25, and Murray State on
Sept. 27.
The Golden Eagles enter the conference season at 1-7-1, but have
high expectations for the remainder of the season. Tech was picked
to finish fifth in the OVC by the leagues' head coaches and Sports
Information Directors.
Tech was picked to finish last in the conference a season ago, and
entered league play at 1-9-0 before going 3-4-1 in the OVC and
advancing to the OVC tournament for the first time in five
seasons.
But this year's team won't be satisfied with an appearance in the
conference tournament.
"Last year we made the OVC tournament for the first time in five
years," head coach Becky Fletcher said. "This year we can't settle
for that. We want to take that a step further."
The Golden Eagles will have a tough task in front of them as UT
Martin was picked to finish in a tie for second place in the OVC,
and Murray State, the defending regular season champions, was
picked to repeat as champions.
"Murray State won the regular season OVC title last year and UT
Martin was third, so both are quality teams," Fletcher said. "They
were among the teams that set the standard last year. Based on last
year's results, we open with two of the best in the conference,
back-to-back."
The Golden Eagles hold a 7-5-1 mark all-time against UT Martin.
However, Tech lost to the Skyhawks twice in 2008, and look to
avenge those losses on Friday in Cookeville.
They visited Martin during the last conference weekend of the
regular season last year, and fell 1-0. The Golden Eagles then
traveled back to Martin for the first round of the OVC tournament,
and lost another one-goal match, falling 2-1.
UT Martin enters the week at 3-4-0 overall, and 0-0-0 in the OVC in
2009. All three Skyhawk wins have been shutout wins. UTM is 0-4
away from home this season.
Tech will meet defending OVC regular-season champion Murray State
on Sunday, and look to answer a 4-0 defeat at the hands of the
Racers last season. Tech holds a 5-3-1 record against Murray State
all-time, but has lost the last three meetings.
Murray State owns a 2-4-1 overall record and is 0-3-1 on the road
this year. The Racers are coming off a trip out west where they
lost to Northern Arizona 4-0 and tied Southern Utah 2-2.
The Golden Eagles will play a round-robin OVC schedule with four
home matches and four road matches. The top six teams advance to
the OVC tournament Nov. 3-8 hosted by the regular season champion,
with the No. 1 and 2 seeds receiving first-round byes.
Tech continues its OVC slate next week with a visit to Eastern
Kentucky on Oct. 2. The Golden Eagles downed EKU on Oct. 3 of
last year, winning 2-1 in overtime. Tech and Eastern Kentucky are
all square in program history, with each team holding two wins in
the all-time series. The Colonels enter the week at 3-6-0
overall.
Tech will then return home to face defending OVC tournament
champion Morehead State on Oct. 4. Admission to all Tech home
soccer matches is free.
