By Dylan Vazzano, TTU Sports Information
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech soccer team checked the tie column for the first time in OVC play, as the Golden Eagles and Austin Peay played to a 1-1 draw in a match that saw each team score in the second half.
Tech's deadlock is the club's second of the year after a 1-1 knot at ETSU in the non-conference finale in Johnson City on Sept. 17. The draw runs TTU's unbeaten streak to four consecutive, with the Golden Eagles registering a 3-0-1 mark throughout the unblemished stretch.
Tech's point puts the purple and gold in third place in the OVC with 10 points. UT Martin, who was idle on Thursday, and Belmont, who knocked off Morehead State 2-0 in Nashville on Thursday, both have 12 points.
The Govs (3-8-3, 0-4-1 OVC) unwrapped the scoring on an Alec Baumgardt goal in the 55th minute, but Tech proved it would not be deterred by the stanza's early setback. The Golden Eagles (4-5-2, 3-2-1 OVC) squared the score less than 10 minutes later, using an Ashley Grimes goal in the 64th minute to start the tilt fresh at 1-1.
Taylor Rhodes fed Grimes from over 30 yards out, before the Lebanon, Tenn. native drilled an upper-90 missile just inside the far post for her first career goal. Rhodes' pass led the 5-foot-6 freshman to her first career assist and first career point.
Rhodes was nearly heard from again with an opportunity to push the purple and gold ahead in the 77th minute, but her strike from in close was batted over the crossbar on a leaping halt by Chloe Dion to keep the match preserved.
Dion's stop was one of seven collected for the 5-foot-4 junior, as the Golden Eagles peppered eight shots on-goal. Isabelle Austin secured two saves over the course of 110 minutes.
Tech doubled up the shot margin thanks to a 12-6 advantage, which included a 6-2 edge in the second half alone. Gabby Garcia and Bailey Taylor tallied a team-best three shots apiece, while Baumgardt paced all players on the pitch with four total attempts, including two of APSU's three shots on-frame.
The Golden Eagles led the corner battle, 8-1.
With two matches remaining in the regular season, TTU will hit the home pitch for the final time in the regular season, welcoming Murray State to town on Thursday, Oct. 21. First kick is set for 7 p.m. CT and admission to Tech Soccer Field is free of charge.
Photo by Jim Dillon
