Tech sees 1-0 second-half advantage slip away in 2-1 loss to Eastern Kentucky
RICHMOND, Ky. – In a match that featured three corner-kick goals, the Tennessee Tech soccer team was unable to protect a 1-0 second half advantage, allowing a pair of second stanza scores in an eventual 2-1 loss to Eastern Kentucky.
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
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1 | 0 | 1 |
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0 | 2 | 2 |
Team Stats
Eastern Kentucky
| Game Statistics | Tennessee Tech | Eastern Kentucky |
|---|---|---|
| Shots (on goal) | 13 (7) | 16 (9) |
| Saves | 7 | 6 |
| Fouls | 2 | 10 |
| Corner Kicks | 6 | 8 |
| Offsides | 2 | 1 |
By Dylan Vazzano, TTU Sports Information Coordinator
RICHMOND, Ky. – In a match that featured three corner-kick goals, the Tennessee Tech soccer team was unable to protect a 1-0 second half advantage, allowing a pair of second stanza scores in an eventual 2-1 loss to Eastern Kentucky.
Senior Katie Phillips got the ball rolling for the Golden Eagles (2-10-0, 0-3-0) midway through the opening period, connecting with freshman Lauren Brewer off of a corner-kick, before splitting the pipes to christen the scoring in the 25th minute. Brewer tallied the assist on the play, while Phillips' goal marked the second time this season that the Cincinnati, Ohio native has clipped the back of the net, bringing her into a three-way tie with junior Taylor Blazei and sophomore Abi Gearing for the team lead with two goals.
The Phillips shot was one of eight for TTU in the first half as the Golden Eagles outshot the Colonels (3-8-1, 1-1-1) by one in the first 45 minutes of action. Tech would ultimately end up with 13 shots in the affair, marking the second time this season that TTU has produced double-digit shots after firing home 17 in a 2-1 win at Chattanooga on Sep. 12.
Up 1-0 at the break, the Colonels wasted no time knotting up the tilt, taking a page out of Tech's book with a corner-kick goal a mere six and a half minutes into the second half. Senior Emily D'Italia began EKU's march at locking up the score, ripping a corner that was eventually knocked over to freshman Emmi Carroll, who put together the finishing touches with a rip from 15 yards out into the top right corner of the net.
D'Italia along with sophomore Cassie Smith, who fed it over to Carroll, both earned assists on the play, while Carroll notched her third goal of the season.
Carroll would be heard from later in the match as the Cincinnati, Ohio native gave the Colonels the lead for good in the 70th minute, mirroring her 52nd minute heroics with a second goal off of a corner. D'Italia once again set it up, however this time Carroll would split the pipes after a Merrissa Vault shot was smacked away by Tech senior goalkeeper Rebecca Toler, with Carroll capitalizing on the rebound to give EKU a 2-1 advantage.
"Congratulations to EKU for a hard fought game. They defended their home field and did a good job of getting a win," Tech head coach Steve Springthorpe said on the afternoon's OVC battle. "For us, I was happy with the way we competed. I thought we played well enough to get a win but unfortunately it didn't work out that way."
The aforementioned Rebecca Toler made seven saves in the match, helping fend off 16 total Eastern Kentucky shots. Across the pitch, freshman Anna Hall earned six saves as the Golden Eagles smacked seven total shots on-goal.
"I personally take responsibility for the loss. I needed to do a better job of preparing our team for this game," Springthorpe said, his final thoughts on the match. "Like I said earlier, the team played well enough and did what they needed to do. We just came up short."
Tech will close out its two-match Kentucky road swing with a trip to Morehead State on Sunday. All the action is set to get underway at 12 p.m. CT.
