By Dylan Vazzano, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The OVC home opener has arrived for the Tennessee Tech soccer team as the Golden Eagles will play host to Southeast Missouri Thursday evening in the first conference clash in Cookeville in 2024. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT.
Admission to Tech Soccer Field is free of charge. 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 (0-7-4, 0-1-0) enter the league home opener on the heels of a 1-0 defeat Sunday at Little Rock in the club's first match of the OVC campaign. The Trojans scored in the 12th minute to account for the tilt's lone goal, but Tech nearly provided the equalizer in the affair's final 90 seconds.
Trailing 1-0 in the waning moments, Meredith Nye corralled a loose ball from five yards outside of the box and blasted an attempted that appeared destined to find the back-left corner of the net in the 89th minute. The top-shelf bid went by the books though after Trojan keeper Peyton Urban popped the shot over the crossbar to keep Little Rock's lead intact and ultimately push the Trojans to the win.
Tech's loss was just the second in OVC play over the squad's last 24 contests. The two-time defending regular-season champions are now 15-2-7 in conference action since the beginning of October 2021.
Neve Renwick compiled a Golden Eagle best four shots, which including a match-leading three shots on-goal. The sophomore forward out of Sheffield, England currently leads the league in goals with six, points with 13, shots with 43 and attempts on-frame with 21.
Skyler Williams' three assists are tied for tops in the OVC. Maggie Conrad's 65 saves pace the league.
As a team, Tech's 14 goals scored are the most in the conference.
A look at Southeast Missouri
Like the purple and gold, the Redhawks (0-6-1, 0-0-1 OVC) are also searching for their first win of the season after posting an 0-6 record during non-conference action before playing Southern Indiana to a 1-1 draw in the OVC opener on Sunday. Trailing 1-0 early in the second half, Cayla Koerner collected her first goal of the season with the equalizer in the 54th minute.
The 2022 OVC Forward and Freshman of the Year leads the Redhawks with 13 shots, six more than any other player on the squad. Koerner's goal was only the second by SEMO this season and first since Elizabeth Rater split the pipes on Aug. 18 in a season-opening 2-1 loss to Murray State. The Redhawks proceeded to go five straight matches without finding the back of the net in defeats to Southern Illinois, Indiana State, Missouri, Florida International and Florida Atlantic.
Sophia Elfrink has started six of seven matches in net for SEMO. The 2023 All-OVC second teamer has allowed 15 goals to go along with 21 saves for a 2.73 goals against average and a .583 save percentage.
Inside the series
Tech's Thursday tangle with the Redhawks will mark the 29th meeting in the all-time series. SEMO leads the set 16-8-4, but Tech has gone undefeated over the last three matchups behind a 2-0-1 record. The Golden Eagles picked up a 1-0 nod in last season's meeting on Oct. 15 in Cape Girardeau, scoring on a Neve Renwick goal in the 56th minute. The Golden Eagles also notched a win in the last Cookeville get-together thanks to a 3-0 triumph on Oct. 16, 2022.
Photo by Jim Dillon
