Golden Eagles advance to OVC Tournament championship match after prevailing in PKs
An OVC Tournament semifinal for the ages saw the top-seeded Tennessee Tech soccer team prevail in dramatic fashion Thursday evening at Tech Soccer Field.
| Final | 1 | 2 | OT | OT2 | OT3 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Team Stats
Tennessee Tech : 6/ N 9/ N 28/ Y 13/ Y 21/ Y 14/ Y
Tennessee Tech wins shootout 4 - 3
Southern Indiana
| Game Statistics | Southern Indiana | Tennessee Tech |
|---|---|---|
| Shots (on goal) | 11 (2) | 11 (5) |
| Saves | 5 | 2 |
| Fouls | 13 | 8 |
| Corner Kicks | 3 | 5 |
| Offsides | 1 | 0 |
By Dylan Vazzano, TTU Athletics Media Relations
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – An OVC Tournament semifinal for the ages saw the top-seeded Tennessee Tech soccer team prevail in dramatic fashion Thursday evening at Tech Soccer Field.
90 minutes of scoreless regulation and a pair of overtimes proved not enough to decide a winner, but the Golden Eagles dug deep and found a way to capture the match, 4-3 in penalty kicks. Six rounds of PKs were ultimately used to decide a victor, and after Maggie Conrad made a leaping denial on an Eva Boer attempt in the sixth round of the shootout, the celebration was on and Tech was off to another OVC Tournament final.
The Golden Eagles (6-6-8) will host No. 3 Lindenwood, who was victorious in overtime against No. 2 Little Rock in the night's second semifinal, in Sunday's OVC Tournament championship clash. Tech will be making its third appearance in the last four years in the tourney title tilt. The Golden Eagles are in search of their second OVC Tournament crown after winning it all in 2000 for the program's only appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
Tech's triumph also extends the purple and gold to a 10-match unbeaten streak, breaking the tie with the 2017 and 2023 Golden Eagles for the longest unblemished stretch in program history.
Conrad's crucial denial on Boer was one of three stops during PKs for Tech's senior keeper. After Katie Toney missed the first attempt for the Golden Eagles, Conrad halted Peyton Murphy to keep the penalty kick portion knotted at 0-0.
Things then took a turn in USI's favor after the Screaming Eagles (9-7-5) went up 2-1 following a Krista Eik Hardardottir miss, and back-to-back Southern Indiana makes by Emma Schut and Josie Pochocki with a Melina Hamm score sandwiched in between.
Trailing 2-1, Anna Baker found the back of the net before Conrad stopped Emma Thurston to keep the scene situated at 2-2. After makes by Tori Soutuyo and Grace Bamber locked the proceedings at 3-3, Ebba Melin gave the Golden Eagles a 4-3 by splitting the pipes just before Conrad's diving leap on Eva Boer won the match for the purple and gold.
Conrad's PK showcase continued a clutch night for the 5-foot-7 senior, who kept the contest scoreless late in regulation with a diving stop on an Emerson Grafton shot in the 83rd minute with the match up for grabs. Conrad's key denial was one of two stops made through 110 minutes of game action.
Anna Markland made five saves across the way, including four in the first half. A Melin point-blank chance off of a Tech corner in the 17th minute served as the most serious threat of the opening stanza, while a Hamm rocket off the post in the 54th minute was the club's most significant chance of the second half.
Toney led all players in the match with four shots, which included two on-goal. Emerson Grafton and Maggie Duggan each produced three total tires to pace Southern Indiana.
Tech will now make its sixth overall OVC Tournament championship match appearance, playing for all the marbles in the club's final year in the conference. The match with Lindenwood is set for Sunday, Nov. 9 and is slated to start at 4 p.m. CT. Admission to Tech Soccer Field is free of charge.
Photo | Jim Dillon
