By Dylan Vazzano, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – With non-conference play now in the rearview mirror, the Tennessee Tech soccer team will unwrap Ohio Valley Conference action with the first of nine league affairs Thursday evening. The Golden Eagles will travel to Lindenwood to open their conference slate, with kickoff from St. Charles, Mo. set for 7 p.m. CT.
The match will be broadcast live on ESPN+. Click here to watch. Live stats will also be available. Click here to view.
A look at Tennessee Tech
Picked to win the OVC regular-season title, the league's preseason No. 1 club will march into conference action after claiming its second-ever regular-season crown last year and first since 1998. The Golden Eagles (1-4-3) compiled a 5-0-3 league ledger in 2022 to mark the OVC's first undefeated conference campaign since UT Martin accomplished the feat in 2018. Dating back to the beginning of Oct. 2021, Tech has gone unbeaten in 14-straight regular-season conference clashes.
This year's version of the purple and gold have had to navigate through a challenging non-conference slate that has featured seven of the eight opponents with .500 or better records, with all eight adversaries combining for a 40-19-14 overall mark this season. Tech was able to end the non-conference portion of the year with some momentum after going unblemished in its final two tangles thanks to a 3-1 win over Lipscomb on Sept. 10 and a 2-2 draw vs. Middle Tennessee on Sunday.
Tech's five combined five goals in the pair of affairs were one more than the four scored over the first six contests of the season. Freshman Neve Renwick was responsible for three of the five net-finders after splitting the pipes twice in the victory over the Bisons and once more in the tie with the Blue Raiders. The Sheffield, England native's three goals are tied for the second most in the OVC, while Renwick's 20 shots knot her for first in the conference.
Bailey Taylor is the only other Golden Eagle with more than one score behind two goals. The senior forward is just outside the top 10 in program history in career net-finders with 14, while her two assists this season give her six total points to rank in a tie for fifth in the league.
Maggie Conrad halted six shots in Sunday's deadlock with MTSU to give her a league-leading 49 on the year. The Cedar Rapids, Iowa product has denied 24 attempts in her last three matches.
A look at Lindenwood
Picked preseason No. 6 in the OVC, the Lions (2-5-1) wrapped up their non-conference campaign on a three-match slide with losses at Missouri State, IUPUI and South Dakota following a 2-2-1 start to the year. Lindenwood's two victories this season were home nods against Chicago State on Aug. 24 and Murray State on Aug. 31.
Three Lions have picked up a team-leading two scores, with Anna Johnson, Mia Corrigan and Maggie Weller all finding the back of the net twice this fall. Johnson, who leads the team with 13 shots, also has an assist this season to pace the club with five points.
Erika Anstine has appeared has appeared in each and every minute between the pipes and has surrendered 13 goals to go along with 38 saves for .745 save percentage and a 1.63 goals against average.
Inside the series
Thursday's matchup will mark the third meeting in the all-time set after the Lions and Golden Eagles went up against each other twice last season in Lindenwood's first year as a Division I school. After playing to a scoreless draw in the regular-season meeting on Sept. 25 in Cookeville, TTU ended the Lions' season with a 5-0 triumph in the OVC Tournament semifinals at Tech Soccer Field.
The five goals tied the second-most ever by an OVC team in the tournament and were the most in the semifinal round or later. Tech's five scores were also the most in a match by the Golden Eagles since a 7-0 victory at Alabama State on Sept. 4, 2009.
Photo by Jim Dillon
