By Dylan Vazzano, TTU Sports Information Coordinator
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech soccer team unwrapped Ohio Valley Conference play with an exclamation point, as the Golden Eagles (3-4-3) scored in the final five minutes of regulation to capture a thrilling 1-0 win over Belmont (1-7-1) in the conference opener.
Scoreless into the 85th minute, sophomore Karigan Owens lined up Tech's sixth corner of the match, an attempt that ultimately proved to be the difference in the tilt. The La Grange, Ky. native's cross clipped off the try of junior Abi Gearing, before the rebound through high traffic was buried into the back of the net by fellow junior Kalyn Pruett.
The dramatic blast marked the second score of the season for Pruett and first career game-winner for the Nashville native. Gearing took home her first assist of the season as well.
"We are excited about our first conference win. I'm happy with the way our team competed and found a way to pull it out at the end of the game," Tech head coach Steve Springthorpe said on tonight's outcome. "Belmont played a hard, tough game. Both sides had chances, but we showed a lot of resolve in our play."
Pruett's winner was made possible by another lights out effort defensively by the Golden Eagles, as Tech held the Bruins to just four shots on-goal. TTU continues to flex its defensive muscles on the road this season, surrendering just two goals in now 400 minutes away from Cookeville.
Freshman goalkeeper Kari Naerdemann registered her third shutout of the year, halting four shots that came her way, including an Emily Proud attempt in the final seconds of the first half to keep the match scoreless into intermission. Belmont's Stephanie Bukovec made four saves of her own, before allowing the winner in the 85th minute.
Tech once again brought the heat defensively in the first half, limiting the Bruins to just three first-half shots en route to TTU's eighth first-period blanking in 10 matches this year. The trio of Belmont attempts also tied for the lowest yielded by the Golden Eagles in a first half this season, matching the three allowed against Chattanooga on Sunday, Sep. 20.
For the third consecutive match, sophomore Zoie Hensely led TTU in shots, after the 5-foot-4 forward smacked three to pull even with Belmont's Meg Howard for the most in the affair. Six Golden Eagles played the duration of the contest, with Kalyn Pruett, Kari Naerdemann, Mayra Tarraga Manzanal, Alyssa Montgomery, Lauren Brewer, and Abi Gearing all doing the honors.
"It was a complete team effort. From the bench giving energy to our team, to the players on the field executing everything the coaches asked of them over the last couple of days of practice," Springthorpe said. "We were extremely focused and once again, it's exciting to get the first win in conference."
Having been unbeaten in six of the last seven matches, Tech will close out its OVC-opening road trip Sunday, traveling to Jacksonville State for a 12 p.m. CT meeting with the Gamecocks.
