By Dylan Vazzano, TTU Sports Information Coordinator
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech soccer team had its hands full with Southeast Missouri Friday afternoon, yielding a goal in each half to the Redhawks (9-5-0, 6-2-0) in a 2-0 defeat amidst a beautiful, sun drenched day at Tech Soccer Field.
The Golden Eagles (2-13-2, 0-6-2) got off to a shaky start in the first of a three-match home stand, surrendering a SEMO goal in the 17th minute behind a Natasha Minor score, the De Pere, Wis. native's fifth of the season.
Minor corralled in a pass along the right side of the box from junior Valeria Jaramillo, who was credited with the assist on the play, before slipping one into the back of the net to christen Friday's scoring. The shot was the first on-goal for either side.
Despite the ominous beginning for TTU, the Golden Eagles fought hard for the duration of the opening stanza, nearly breaking through with an equalizing score on a pair of occasions. Two Taylor Sutton corner kicks were almost guided in by a duo of Tech defenders, starting with a Katie Phillips try in the 31st minute that sailed high off the 5-foot-9 senior's noggin and over the cross bar.
Déjà vu all over again in the 38th minute, as this time it was freshman defender Mary Francis Hoots that saw her header rise too far over the cross bar on a Taylor Sutton corner, keeping the 1-0 SEMO lead intact heading into intermission.
Despite having to fend off 26 Redhawk shots throughout the course of the affair, Tech found one more legitimate chance at squaring the match at 1-1 two-thirds of the way into the second half. In the 76th minute, freshman Zoie Hensely crossed one through the box and into the waiting shoe tops of junior Taylor Blazei, but the Hartford, Wis. native blasted one over the net, just missing out on what would have been the equalizing score.
Southeast Missouri responded a mere two minutes later on a Breana Beine goal, as the senior forward put one home on a Jennifer Antonacci corner kick to pad the Redhawk advantage to 2-0. Beine's net-finder gave the St. Peters, Mo. eight on the season as she continues to climb in the top 10 in goals in the OVC.
Although allowing the pair of scores, Tech senior goalkeeper Rebecca Toler kept TTU in the match with seven saves, six of which came in the second half that allowed her team the opportunity to stage a dramatic comeback.
On the opposite side of the coin, freshman Kindra Lierz left the match relatively untested after the Golden Eagles were unable to put a shot on-goal.
TTU will now turn its sights to Sunday's Senior Day tilt with SIU Edwardsville. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. CT, with a special ceremony to honor Tech's seniors scheduled for 12:50.
