By Dylan Vazzano, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Fresh off its first victory of the 2024 campaign, the Tennessee Tech soccer team will head west for Martin, Tenn. and its second road test of Ohio Valley Conference action this season, taking on UT Martin on Sunday, Sept. 29. The start time for Sunday's match has been pushed back to 5:00 p.m. CT to allow more time for field conditions to improve following this weekend's significant rainfall.
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 (1-7-4, 1-1-0) head into Sunday's tilt in Martin after claiming the program's first win under the direction of head coach Corey Boyd, a 3-0 shutout over Southeast Missouri on Thursday in Cookeville. Meredith Nye unwrapped the scoring in the 10th minute with her 10th career goal, burying a rebound into the bottom left corner of the net for the early 1-0 advantage.
Goalkeeper Maggie Conrad literally saved the lead for the purple and gold heading into the second half, making an incredible, diving stop on a SEMO PK with under 30 seconds to play in the opening stanza. The Tech offense backed their leader between the pipes in the second half, dropping a pair of quick scores to all but put the contest away.
Katie Toney dropped her third goal of the year in the 50th minute after back-to-back nice touches from Nye and Lucia Cuadra. Fellow forward Neve Renwick made it a 3-0 advantage in the 55th minute, banging a rocket shot off a Redhawk defender and into the back of the net. Conrad closed the contest with another PK save with a little over a minute to play, making another leaping stop to all but solidify the shutout.
After the Golden Eagle win, the two-time defending regular-season champions are now 16-2-7 in conference action since the beginning of October 2021.
Renwick, sophomore forward out of Sheffield, England currently leads the league in goals with seven, points with 15, shots with 50, and attempts on-frame with 22.
Skyler Williams' four assists are tied for tops in the OVC. Maggie Conrad's 72 saves pace the league.
As a team, Tech's 17 goals scored are the most in the conference.
A look at UT Martin
The Skyhawks (2-5-3, 1-1-0 OVC) will play on their home pitch for the first time in 21 days, looking to rebound from a 4-1 loss at Southern Indiana on Thursday. UT Martin ranks third in the OVC in shots (126) and second in shots on goal (58) while ranking third in the league in save percentage (.767).
Goalkeeper Mac Titus is tied for second in the conference in saves with 60 while holding on to second place in saves per game (6.00).
Makayla Robinson (three goals) and Izzy Patterson (OVC-best four assists) have been on a tear to start the year, combining for 15 points. Sophomore Peyton Cook ranks inside the OVC's top three in both shots (28, third) and shots on goal (17, second).
Inside the series
Tech's Sunday slated with the Skyhawks will mark the 30th meeting in the all-time series. UT Martin leads by a slim, 15-12-2 margin, but Tech has gone undefeated over the last three matchups behind a 2-0-1 record. The Golden Eagles picked up a 3-2 nod in last season's meeting on Oct. 12 in Cookeville, bouncing back from a 2-1 deficit with less than 20 minutes to play. Two-time OVC Midfielder of the Year Yao Giada Zhou squared the match in the 77th minute before Bailey Taylor sent the Tech faithful into hysterics with the game-winner right at the 89th minute.
Photo by Jim Dillon
