FIRST PLACE SOCCER TEAM HOSTS OVC FOES MOREHEAD STATE AND EASTERN KENTUCKY THIS WEEKEND
MARTIN, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee at Martin soccer team returns to Skyhawk Field this weekend to take on Ohio Valley Conference rivals Morehead State on Friday, Oct. 12, and Eastern Kentucky on Sunday, Oct. 14. The match against Morehead State will begin at 7:30 p.m., while the Skyhawks will battle Eastern Kentucky at 1 p.m.
Tomorrow night against Morehead State, the Skyhawks will don pink prewrap, bows or wrist tape to raise awareness for breast cancer. Also, four area youth soccer teams from the Martin Parks and Recreation program will play each other during halftime.
Friday night’s match against Morehead State will be a rematch of last season’s OVC tournament championship in Cape Girardeau, Mo. In that match, UT Martin advanced to its first-ever NCAA Tournament by overcoming a 1-0 halftime deficit to score a pair of late goals for the 2-1 victory.
All-time, the Skyhawks are 10-6-1 against Morehead State, with a 6-2 record in matches played at Skyhawk Field. UT Martin is 4-3-2 all-time against Eastern Kentucky but is undefeated at home (3-0) against the Colonels, outscoring Eastern Kentucky by a 9-0 margin.
UT Martin is currently in a three-way tie for first place in the OVC standings with Eastern Kentucky and Jacksonville State. The Skyhawks split their two-match road swing last weekend, downing Eastern Illinois 5-1 on Friday before falling 1-0 at SIU Edwardsville on Sunday. The five goals on Friday marked the first time in over seven years that UT Martin had scored five goals against an OVC opponent.
On the season, six Skyhawks have scored at least three goals, led by Kendyl Wilson and Saphyra Coombs-James (five apiece). Overall, UT Martin leads the OVC in shots (16.86 per match), points (5.50 per match), goals (1.93 per match) and assists (1.64 per match). Wilson leads the OVC with five assists while Dominika Conc and Hannah McGowen each rank third in the league with three assists apiece.
In goal, sophomore Mariah Klenke (1.35 Goals Against Average) has made 61 saves and accounts for both of UT Martin’s shutouts. Sarah Tompkins has also seen time in two of the last three matches, conceding one goal while making eight saves.
Morehead State is currently 1-9-2 with a 1-2-1 league record. The Eagles picked up their first victory of the season on Sept. 30 at Belmont (2-1) and played one of the league-leaders Jacksonville State to a 1-1 tie last Sunday, outshooting the Gamecocks by a 27-6 margin.
Eight different Eagles account for Morehead State’s 10 goals on the season, led by two strikes apiece by Kimberly Golden and Macy Cobb.
Elizabeth Floyd (38 saves, 1.47 GAA) has seen most of the time at goalkeeper lately for Morehead State. She has conceded just three goals in her last three matches, spanning 290 minutes.
Eastern Kentucky (7-4-2, 3-0-1 OVC) has not lost since Sept. 12, going 4-0-1 in that span. The Colonels bested Jacksonville State (2-1) and Tennessee Tech (2-0) last weekend at home.
The Colonel offense is paced by Nikki Donnelly, who leads the OVC with three game-winning goals. She also ranks second in the league in shots (3.38 per match), third in goals (six) and fifth in points (14).
Erika Wolfer has logged the majority of minutes in goal for Eastern Kentucky. She sports a 1.21 GAA while making 42 saves in 11 matches.