By Dylan Vazzano, Sports Information Coordinator
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – It's a weekend that will have more than its fair share of in-state flavor as the Tennessee Tech soccer team prepares to hook up with a pair of schools from the Volunteer State. The Golden Eagles (3-2-0) will jump start the weekend with a Friday night trip to Murfreesboro to clash with Middle Tennessee at 7 p.m. CT, before returning back to Cookeville to meet East Tennessee State Sunday at 7 p.m.
Sunday's match with the Buccaneers (3-3-0) will be broadcast live on the Golden Eagle Sports Network via the Ohio Valley Conference Digital Network. Click here to watch.
Friday night's affair with the Blue Raiders (2-2-1) will mark Tech's first road match since its season-opening weekend trip to North Carolina back on Aug. 19-21, a two-tilt swing that saw the Golden Eagles capture a 2-0 win over UNC Asheville, before falling 3-0 at UNC Greensboro. TTU most recently rounded out a 2-1 home-stand to kick off its 2016 Cookeville slate, seizing shutout wins over Wright State (Aug. 26) and Mercer (Aug. 28), prior to Sunday's, 2-1, double-overtime loss to Louisiana Tech.
The Golden Eagle defense has looked sharp over the first five matches of the year, tabbing three shutout nods to help pace Tech to its quick start. In the three-straight home contests, Tech surrendered only six shots on-goal, and overall, its five goals allowed in five matches are the second fewest in the OVC.
Offensively, junior Karigan Owens added another assist in Sunday's match with the Lady Techsters, pushing the La Grange, Ky. native to a conference-best three, all of which have occurred in the last two matches. Senior Abi Gearing leads the Golden Eagles with three goals in the season's early stages.
MTSU's matchup with Tech is the third against an Ohio Valley Conference school this year with the Blue Raiders knocking off Jacksonville State, 1-0, on Aug. 19 and drawing Belmont, 1-1, in the club's last match on Sunday.
Sophomore Abbie Brown and freshman Salera Jordan lead the team with two goals each, while senior Courteney Gibson boasts a squad-best two assists.
MTSU leads the all-time series, 15-2, which includes a 1-0 double-overtime win at Tech Soccer Field last season.
ETSU is coming off a 2-0 win over Winthrop on Wednesday, snapping a three-match slide after the Buccaneers started the year 2-0. All three Bucs' victories have come via the shutout with the club yielding a combined 10 goals in its three losses.
Sophomore Eleonora Goldoni leads the goal-scoring charge with four and fellow sophomore Irina Brutsch has paced the Buccaneers with four assists.
East Tennessee State has a narrow edge in the all-time series, holding a 6-5-3 advantage over TTU. The Buccaneers took down Tech, 1-0, at home in 2015.
Admission to all Tech home regular season matches is free of charge.
Photo by Jim Dillon
