By Dylan Vazzano, TTU Sports Information Coordinator
ATLANTA, Ga. – Junior Kalyn Pruett scored her first goal of the season and freshman Kari Naerdemann made five key saves to help lead the Tennessee Tech soccer team to a 1-1 draw with Georgia State, halting the Panthers' (4-0-1) four-match win streak to begin 2015.
The Golden Eagles (1-3-2) conclude their two-match road swing in the state of Georgia with a pair of ties, after blanking Mercer in a scoreless draw with the Bears Friday evening. So far this season, Tech has yielded just two goals in 310 minutes of action on the road.
"I'm happy with our performance today, especially coming off of a double-overtime game on Friday and having to turn around and play today on just one day's rest," TTU head coach Steve Springthorpe claimed on Sunday's outcome. "I thought our team handled that kind of adversity well. Overall I felt good about how we played and the things we accomplished, especially against a GSU side that is undefeated."
Tech leapt on the board first in the 22nd minute thanks to a Kalyn Pruett score, the junior from Nashville's first goal of her career. The net-finder came off of a Zoie Hensley free kick as the 5-foot-4 sophomore records her club-leading third assist of the season to already match a career high for the Ranchos de Taos, N.M. native.
Georgia State responded to the early adversity, scoring a mere nine minutes later on a header by senior Jenna Moore for her first goal of the year to deadlock the tilt at 1-1. The 5-foot-9 defender buried it into the back of the net off of a corner from fellow senior Margaret Bruemmer, who notched an assist on the play.
The goal marked the first time in 2015 that the Golden Eagles have given up a first half score, snapping a program-record of five consecutive matches to begin the season without allowing a goal in the first period. And although the history-making streak came to a close, the Tech defensive unit bounced back to blank the Panthers in the second half for TTU's third second-stanza shutout of the year.
Freshman goalkeeper Kari Naerdemann played a pivotal role in the stellar defensive effort, stopping five-of-six shots that came her way, including two essential halts in the second overtime. In fact, one of Naerdemann's two saves in the second overtime was as good a stop as you will see, after the Herne, Germany native went full extension to prevent a Panther shot that was ticketed to go upper 90 and find the back of the net.
"Kari kept us in it in overtime," Springthorpe said on the outstanding play of his freshman keeper. "It was a brilliant upper 90's save by Kari. We were happy about the way she played, and the way our entire back line played as well."
Across the way, GSU's Christa Fox registered three saves.
Georgia State outshot Tech 20-7, led by senior Callie O'Connor's seven. Zoie Hensely paced the Golden Eagles with two shots.
"From a team perspective I thought it was a great effort," Springthorpe noted. "From those on the field to the players on the bench, I felt we had great energy. Even though we didn't get the win, we are happy with the result and will look forward to continue to get better."
The Golden Eagles will have a little more time to prepare for its next match, hosting Radford on Sunday, Sep. 13. Kickoff at Tech Soccer Field is slated for 1 p.m. CT.
