By Dylan Vazzano, TTU Sports Information Coordinator
Cape Girardeau, Mo. – In the last regular season road match of the 2015 campaign, the Tennessee Tech soccer team once again showcased its defense en route to a scoreless draw at Southeast Missouri. By virtue of Sunday's outcome that now gives the Golden Eagles (7-7-4, 5-3-1) 16 points in conference play, Tech is heading to the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament for the first time since 2009.
"It's a great moment for our program, there's no doubt about it," Golden Eagle head coach Steve Springthorpe said on clinching a spot in the six-team conference playoff. "Considering the last couple of years, we haven't really had a chance to be here, so I'm really happy for our players. I'm happy for our administration and our staff. I'm also thankful for all the people that have put in the hard work to help make our team successful this season."
"As far as the game is concerned, it was a hard fought match with two teams trying to scratch for points to get themselves into the conference tournament," Springthorpe said. "SEMO played well and give them credit. We came out with a game plan, knew what we needed to do to get into the conference tournament, and that was the goal. The team did exactly what the coaching staff asked and that was to play hard nose defense and not allow many opportunities, and I thought we executed that."
The match marked the seventh overtime clash of the year for the Golden Eagles, all of which have extended into double overtime. Sophomore Karigan Owens produced the only TTU shot on-goal in the pair of extra sessions, smacking one on net in the final 25 seconds of the first overtime that was stopped by SEMO goalkeeper Kindra Lierz.
The Redhawks (8-5-5, 3-2-4) returned the favor in the second OT's final 15 seconds as senior Paige Luehmann rattled one that was captured by Tech goalkeeper Kari Naerdemann, one of five saves made in the match for the 5-foot-9 freshman that pushed her to her sixth shutout of the season.
Locked up in a defensive struggle in the first half, the two clubs combined for just four total shots, three of which were on-goal. The trio of shots on-point all occurred within a stretch of four minutes midway through the opening stanza, started by a Paige Blankenheim attempt saved by freshman Kari Naerdemann in the 17th minute, which led to a Karigan Owens strike that was gobbled up by sophomore Kindra Lierz two minutes later.
The Redhawks capped off the shot on-goal stretch with a Kaitlin Kuznacic try off a corner kick in the 21st minute that was once again halted by Naerdemann to keep the match scoreless.
The second half mirrored the first 45 minutes of action as the two squads teamed up for three shots on-goal to send the match into overtime scoreless. The Golden Eagles lone shot on-point in the second stanza took place in the first three minutes of the period, behind a Cassidy Ortman header that was stopped by Lierz, one of three total saves registered for the 5-foot-10 sophomore.
With two more saves in the second half, Naerdemann equaled her first total output, giving the Herne, Germany native four through regulation.
SEMO seized the shot battle, 11-4.
With conference tournament seeding still up in the air, the Golden Eagles welcome Morehead State into Tech Soccer Field on Thurs. Oct. 29 in the regular season finale. Morehead fell Sunday to UT Martin, giving the Eagles an identical OVC record as TTU, with both clubs at 5-3-1 and in a tie for second. The top two teams in the conference earn a first round bye to move straight to the OVC Tournament semi-finals.
Thursday's kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT.
