By Dylan Vazzano, Sports Information Coordinator
RICHMOND, Ky. – In a match that featured only three total shots on-goal, Eastern Kentucky found a way to best the Tennessee Tech soccer team, scoring late to take down the Golden Eagles, 1-0, in the regular season finale. With the loss, Tech (10-6-3, 6-2-2) will receive a No. 3 or No. 4 seed in the OVC Tournament and will host a first-round playoff match Sunday. The win ensures the Colonels (13-4-0, 8-2-0) a top two seed and a bye straight to the semifinals.
Scoreless in the 69th minute, EKU (13-4-0, 8-2-0) capitalized on its only shot on-goal of the match as junior Jordan Foster headed one between the pipes to push the Colonels to a 1-0 edge. Foster's team-leading eighth goal of the season came courtesy of a Marian Wolski corner kick that netted the 5-foot-5 freshman with her second assist of the year.
"Congratulations to EKU on its win on a day where it was just a defensive battle with three combined shots on-goal," Tech head coach Steve Springthorpe said. "To their credit, they found a way to put the ball in the back of the net in the second half and we were unable to recover."
The Golden Eagles managed to put two shots on-goal, both of which were gobbled up by junior Anna Hall, who registered her conference-leading 10th shutout of the season to break the tie with TTU sophomore Kari Naerdemann for the most in the OVC. Freshman Nora Vicsek put one on-point in the 9th minute and senior Julia Rebollo fired an attempt on-goal in the 75th minute.
Overall, the Colonels outshot Tech, 9-8.
"Now we have to get ready for Sunday and prepare to play at our place," Springthorpe said in regards to entering the OVC Tournament. "We will find out later tonight who that will be and hopefully today's game has prepared us to be hungry and do the things that we need to do come Sunday to move on in the conference tournament."
The Golden Eagles end the regular season with 10 wins, the first time Tech has recorded double-digit victories in a year since 2002. TTU's 13 goals allowed this season are the lowest in the OVC.
Photo by Jim Dillon
