By Dylan Vazzano, TTU Sports Information Coordinator
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Late-match dramatics carried the way Sunday afternoon, as the Tennessee Tech soccer team scored with just 10 seconds remaining the second overtime to prevail 1-0 over Radford to continue Tech's recent run of success.
For the first time in her collegiate career, freshman Mayra Tarraga Manzal found the back of the net to break the scoreless deadlock in the waning moments, scoring on a beautiful ball from sophomore Lauren Brewer to prevent the Golden Eagles (2-3-2) from checking the tie column for the third consecutive match. Tech is now unbeaten in its last four tilts, collecting two wins and two draws over a span that dates back to Aug. 30.
"It's just awesome," TTU head coach Steve Springthorpe remarked on the afternoon's thriller. "It's awesome for our team and I'm so pleased with our effort today. This is our fourth overtime game and we hadn't had a win out of the first three, so to get one in dramatic fashion like this was exciting."
With 30 seconds remaining the second overtime, the Golden Eagles lined up the first corner in the pair of extra sessions, stirring a buzz in the air that blanketed Tech Soccer Field. Despite coming up empty on the initial attempt, the ball ricocheted back outside to Lauren Brewer, who was able to seize it before it went out of bounds to give Tech one final look at victory.
The Crestwood, Ky. native then sent one soaring into the box that caromed off the try of Tarraga Manzanal and into the back of the net to cap off the theatrical finish.
"She's been great for us all season long," Springthorpe said on Tarraga Manzal and her heroics. "Mayra settles the ball for us and makes great decisions. She helps things go in the midfield and has been working hard the last few weeks of trying to get forward more. On that play, we hit the ball over the top and she made a great run and finished it."
"It was unbelievable, especially getting a goal like that in the last 10 seconds with [Brewer] coming into the box and then Mayra finishing it," junior captain Kalyn Pruett claimed. "It was just a great feeling and I couldn't be happier for our team."
Pruett helped anchor another sparkling Golden Eagle defensive effort that resulted in the club's second shutout in the last three matches. In fact, dating back to Aug. 30, Tech has yielded just one score in the last 367 minutes of action, and has given up only one goal or less in its last six matches.
"Having a good defensive team is always something we are going to strive for, and to get a shutout against a team like Radford was great for us," Springthorpe said. "We are always going to defend first and now we can start generating more opportunities, and we certainly did that today. We had more shots today than we had in the last few games, and we will keep working on that, but defense will continue to be what we pride ourselves on."
Freshman Kari Naerdemann blanked the Highlanders (4-3-0) for her second collegiate shutout and second in the last three matches. The Herne, Germany native made six stops in the victory, matching the total of Radford's Katie McCormick, who halted six Tech shots as well.
Paced by a career-high five shots from sophomore Karigan Owens, Tech ripped 15 total in the match. Senior Asyia Mitchell led the Highlander charge with three of Radford's 16 shots.
The Golden Eagles will remain at home, hosting Troy University on Friday, Sep. 18 at 4 p.m. CT, before welcoming in Chattanooga on Sunday, Sep. 20 at 1 p.m.
