By Dylan Vazzano, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech soccer team will put the finishing touches on its spring campaign, as the Golden Eagles host Eastern Kentucky in the regular-season finale Tuesday night at Tech Soccer Field. The last meeting as members of the same conference is set to begin at 7 p.m. CT.
Tuesday's tilt will serve as Tech's annual Senior Day, with a pre-match ceremony scheduled to honor the careers of Isabelle Austin, Katie Bain Lancaster and Kendall Powell just prior to the start of the contest.
Fans are permitted at Tech Soccer Field, with admission free of charge, but will be required to socially distance and wear face coverings. Capacity will be limited to one-third of the original capacity of 800 due to COVID-19 protocols.
The match will be broadcast live on ESPN+. Click here to watch. Live stats are also available. Click here to view.
A look at Tennessee Tech
The Golden Eagles (4-5-0) enter the finale fresh off one of the squad's most thrilling victories of the year behind a 2-1 nod at Jacksonville State on Friday, Apr. 2. Trailing 1-0 late in regulation, Tech split the pipes twice in the final 12 minutes to complete the captivating comeback, and in the process, snap the club's five-match losing streak.
Gabby Garcia pulled the purple and gold even with her team-leading second score of the season in the 79th minute, an unassisted drive that saw the freshman forward sneak one inside the far post with a trio of Gamecocks around her on the right side of the box. Minutes later, Bailey Taylor put Tech on top with her first goal of the season and fifth of her career.
The Powell, Tenn. product capitalized on a Chloe Smith cross in the 87th minute that put Taylor in position to take a quick shot right in front of the net that gave the Golden Eagles the lead. Smith collected her first assist of the spring on the play.
Smith concluded the contest with a career-high seven shots, tying the most in a match by any OVC player this spring. The junior forward's 29 attempts this season are knotted for third-highest in the league.
Smith is one of four Golden Eagles to notch a goal this season as well, joining Taylor, Garcia and Meredith Nye.
Defensively, TTU leads the OVC with in goals allowed with just six scores surrendered in nine matches. The Golden Eagles are the only team in the conference that has not yielded more than one goal in a match this spring.
Senior keeper Isabelle Austin is the league leader in goals against average (0.65) and save percentage (.887).
A look at Eastern Kentucky
After starting the spring with a 1-4 record over the club's first five clashes, the Colonels have since posted a 3-1 mark over the last four affairs. EKU (4-5-0) had rattled off three consecutive victories with wins over Eastern Illinois, Southeast Missouri and Belmont, but were upended in the squad's last tilt thanks to a 5-1 loss at UT Martin on Friday.
The Colonels are tied for the fourth-most goals scored this year in the OVC with 13 in nine matches, and the club's 125 shots also puts them in a knot for fourth in the league. Michaela Iacono leads the team with three goals this spring, a mark that places the red-shirt sophomore out of Aurora, Ontario in a tie for eighth in the OVC. Iacono is one of three Colonels with multiple scores this season. Audrey Anderson and Katie Shaffer have both found the back of the net twice this season.
Defensively, seniors Billie Clark and Sophia Braun have split the goal-keeping duties with Clark starting in five matches and tallying nearly 480 minutes between the pipes, and Braun claiming four starts under her belt with over 340 minutes in net. Clark has allowed eight goals and has made 27 saves for a 1.50 goals against average and .771 save percentage, while Braun has surrendered 10 scores to go with 29 stops for a 2.65 goals against average and .744 save percentage.
Inside the Series
Eastern Kentucky leads the all-time series behind a 10-6-1 advantage over Tennessee Tech. The Golden Eagles have gone unbeaten in the last three regular-season meetings with two wins and a draw against the Colonels, but EKU has bested Tech in the last two OVC Tournament get-togethers with semifinal triumphs in 2016 and 2017.
Tech took the last battle with a 3-1 victory in Cookeville on Sept. 22, 2019. Cassidy Bereda scored two goals in the win.
Photo by Jim Dillon
