By Dylan Vazzano, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – A season-high three goals, a Maggie Conrad career-high 10 saves and an overall stellar performance from the Tennessee Tech soccer ignited the way to Tech's first victory of the season behind a 3-1 triumph over Lipscomb Sunday evening at Tech Soccer Field.
Neve Renwick scored her first two career goals in the first half, while Bailey Taylor split the pipes early in the second to cap off her own three-point showing in a win that snapped the Bisons' four-match winning streak.
"Tonight was much needed for us," TTU head coach Steve Springthorpe said. "Our team has battled throughout the season and have been in a number of close games where we fell just short, but overall I think we have showed some inconsistency throughout the year. Tonight was really the first time where everything seemed to click really well for us. I mean offensively we scored three goals, I thought our transition was good and we defended pretty well. It was a great night for us and something we desperately needed to feel good about going into next weekend against MTSU and then conference play right after that.
"Credit goes to our whole team, top to bottom as well as our staff," Springthorpe continued. "Corey [Boyd], Jack [Rushworth] and Chloe [Smith] were great in making adjustments throughout the week and getting our team ready to play this evening. I'm happy with our performance and am excited for our team."
Renwick delivered an unassisted goal to unwrap the scoring for the Golden Eagles (1-4-2) in the 20th minute for Tech's earliest goal in a match of the 2023 campaign. Moments later, the rookie out of Sheffield, England helped double up the purple and gold's margin with a drive in the 34th minute for TTU's first two-goal edge of the season. Renwick's score was made possible after Taylor slipped in a through ball to the charging freshman that netted Taylor with her second assist of the year.
Early in the second, the senior forward took matters into her own hands with a goal in the 51st minute for Taylor's second score of the campaign and 14th of her collegiate career. Katie Toney, who helped set up the net-finder with a touch to Taylor earned her first assist of the season.
"When you can score early like we were finally able to do tonight, it really changes the complexion of the game," Springthorpe noted. "Then after we put in the first one, we were able to get another one relatively quickly and you find yourselves feeling pretty good going into halftime. We may have been outshot in the first, but ultimately we transitioned well and finished our opportunities which is something we have always felt that our team could do, but it wasn't happing as consistent as we'd like before tonight's match."
Conrad collected a career-high 10 saves, which included a pair of stunning stops to help keep Lipscomb (4-4-0) off the board. The 5-foot-7 junior climbed the ladder on a 35th minute blast by Emanuela Schurch that saw Conrad knock it over the crossbar to keep the Bisons at bay in the first stanza, before performing a similar feat in the midway through the second on another Lipscomb attempt that Conrad soared to get a piece of and deflect off the bar.
"Maggie was great for us tonight," Springthorpe commented. "She made a couple of highlight saves that were huge for us and a number of key saves as well that we really needed. There were some long range stops by her with Lipscomb attempting some shots from far out, but overall, she did what she needed to do to help us get a win. I think Maggie has played well all season and I am definitely happy for her and the performance she had tonight."
Lipscomb was able to sneak one past Conrad in 81st minute behind an unassisted Macella Cash goal. Cash's strike was one of 16 Lipscomb shots, 11 of which were on-frame. Tech attempted 10 total shots, including three tries on-point. Neve Renwick and Shelby Craft led the contest with four shots apiece.
Sara Kile allowed all three goals in 66 minutes of action, while Sydney Jones was not forced into making a save in just about 24 minutes off the bench.
"It was great to be at home, we love being here and had a great crowd tonight," Springthorpe said. "It's awesome to see the community come out and support us and I am hoping we have the same thing next weekend when we host MTSU, another local team that we play just about every year that is a rival of our school."
The Golden Eagles will stay home to entertain Middle Tennessee on Sept. 17 in the club's final non-conference match of the year. Kickoff with the Blue Raiders is scheduled for 5 p.m. CT and admission to Tech Soccer Field is free of charge.
Photo by Jim Dillon
