By Dylan Vazzano, TTU Sports Information Coordinator
MURRAY, Ky. – The captivating ride of the 2015 Tennessee Tech soccer season came to a close Friday afternoon as No. 2 Tech fell to No. 6 Southeast Missouri, 2-0, in the first of two OVC Tournament semifinals.
The Redhawks (9-5-7, 3-2-5) found the back of the net in the first ten minutes of the first half, and the final ten minutes of the second, bookending their way to Sunday's championship match where they will await the winner of No. 5 Morehead State and No. 1 Murray State, the day's second semifinal.
"First off congratulations go to SEMO for playing a great game. They are a fantastic team and played well today," Tech head coach Steve Springthorpe said shortly after the match. "In regards to our team, I'm proud of our fight and the effort that we played with. It's a sad time for our group, you certainly don't like losing in an environment where you are trying to play for a championship, but it definitely doesn't take away from what our team achieved this year."
The Golden Eagles (8-8-4, 6-3-1) conclude one of the best seasons in program history that saw Tech capture a school record six conference victories, earn a second place OVC regular season finish for the first time since 2000, and secure a regular season winning record for the first time since 2004.
"If you look at where we were projected this year and then where we ended, finishing in second place and making it to the final four, it's a testament to our players and the effort they put forth all season long," Springthorpe said. "I'm proud of our team and I'm excited about what the future holds for our program."
SEMO applied early pressure to the Golden Eagles, scoring in the ninth minute to jump out to the initial 1-0 edge. Junior Jennifer Antonacci accounted for the Redhawks' score after stealing the ball away and blasting one between the pipes to christen the scoring. It was the St. Louis, Mo. native's third goal of the year.
The Golden Eagles nearly provided the equalizer in the latter stages of the first half, firing off a pair of shots from inside the box that were both deflected away by SEMO sophomore goalkeeper Kindra Lierz in the 34th minute. Sophomore Cassidy Ortman took the first attempt at evening the tilt, before junior Kalyn Pruett smacked one that ricocheted away, a few seconds later.
With Tech scratching and clawing its way toward a second-half comeback, Southeast Missouri took the wind out of the Golden Eagle sails with a late score that bumped the SEMO lead to 2-0. In the 81st minute, junior Natasha Minor chipped one from well outside the box that appeared to take a deflection, and with a great deal of top spin behind it, it just snuck home to essentially put the match on ice. The goal marked the fourth of the season for the 5-foot-2 midfielder.
"We're a very defensive minded team that looks to limit goal-scoring opportunities, and if you look at our results, it has been tough for us to come back," Springthorpe said on facing the early deficit. "That being said, if you look after the first 10-15 minutes of the match, I thought we did some real positive things. In the last 30 minutes of the first half, we had a couple of opportunities and did a better job of possessing the ball and pressuring the ball as well. And then we came out in the second half and were able to get forward more. Ultimately, we will look back, review it all, learn from it, and be better and stronger for next year."
The Redhawks won the shot battle, 11-7. Freshman Kari Naerdemann, the conference's Defensive Player of the Year, registered three saves, while Kinra Lierz recorded four.
"It's been an unbelievable season. When you come off the type of year we had last season and then have the type of success we were able to have this year, that's pretty magical," Springthorpe noted. "Thank you to the administration, our fans, the facilities, media relations, and marketing departments, and all of the families that traveled all year long to watch us play. The success of the team couldn't have happened without the help of all those involved, and our entire team appreciates it."
TTU says goodbye to four seniors, Allison Barlow, Taylor Blazei, Mackenzie Miller, and Taylor Sutton.
"There's definite appreciation and thanks to our four seniors," Springthorpe said. "They battled and were with this program for four years. They helped us get to this point and I am extremely grateful for their leadership and presence, both on and off the field."
