By Dylan Vazzano, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – An-state showdown is set to take center stage Thursday evening as the Tennessee Tech soccer team will make the trip to Chattanooga to tangle with the Mocs. Kickoff from Finley Stadium is scheduled for 5 p.m. CT.
The match will be streamed live on ESPN+. Click here to watch. Live stats will also be available. Click here to view.
A look at Tennessee Tech
The Golden Eagles (0-4-2) will embark on their second-to-last non-conference road clash of the season following another week of playing top-tier competition in matchups at nationally-ranked Mississippi State and at home vs. Columbia. In battles with two clubs that won at least one match in last year's NCAA Tournament, the Golden Eagles fell 1-0 at No. 22 MSU before playing the Lions to a 4-4 draw in Sunday's contest at Tech Soccer Field.
TTU's tussle with Columbia saw the two teams play to a scoreless draw at intermission before erupting for a combined eight goals in the second stanza. The chaotic second chapter saw four lead changes, four ties and four scores in the final 10 minutes of the match alone.
Katie Toney opened the Golden Eagle scoring with an equalizer in the 54th minute before Neve Renwick collected two goals in the 70th and 80th minutes. Anna Baker rounded out the Tech attack with a go-ahead net-finder in the 86th minute, but the Lions produced an equalizer of their own in the 89th minute to push the proceedings to a stalemate.
Toney's goal was the reigning OVC Forward of the Year's first of the season. Renwick's pair propelled the sophomore forward to a conference-leading four goals, while Baker picked up her second score in only her third-career match.
Along with her four goals to pace the OVC, Renwick is also the league leader in points with nine. The Sheffield, England product is tied for tops in the conference with 10 shots on-goal, while her 18 total tries are good enough for second in the OVC. Skyler Williams, who assisted on Renwick's first goal in the 70th minute against Columbia, is now knotted for first in the league with two assists. The West River, Md. native also helped out on Baker's first-career goal against her previous school, Middle Tennessee, on Aug. 25.
Overall, the Golden Eagles are deadlocked for first in the conference with nine goals.
Junior goalkeeper Maggie Conrad is the league leader in saves behind 42 stops in six matches.
A look at Chattanooga
The Mocs (1-4-1) host the purple and gold fresh off their first win of the season after toppling former OVC foe Jacksonville State 1-0 in Alabama on Sunday. Caroline Richvalsky was responsible for the match's lone goal thanks to a score in the 37th minute. Zoey Mize picked up her team-leading second assist of the season.
Richvalsky is responsible for two of the squad's four scores. Clarissa Salina and Brenna Swiger each have a goal this year as well.
Caroline Ekern has played each and every minute between the pipes this season. The junior out of Knoxville has allowed 11 goals and recorded 23 saves.
Chattanooga four's losses have come at the hands of Tennessee, Alabama, No. 15 Xavier and Austin Peay. The club's lone draw as a 2-2 knot in the season opener at Georgia State on Aug. 15.
Inside the series
A set that dates back to 1997, the Golden Eagles and Mocs will take to the pitch for the 23rd time in the regular season on Thursday. Including exhibition affairs played each and every year from 2016-19, Tech and Chattanooga have met every year except 1996 and 2020 since each program's inception in 1996.
The Mocs lead the series 14-6-2. Chattanooga claimed last year's battle in Cookeville behind a 1-0 nod in Tech's home opener on Aug. 20. The two clubs played to a 1-1 draw in the last match in the Scenic City on Sept. 1, 2022.
Photo by Jim Dillon
