By Dylan Vazzano, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – A championship will be at stake in the Tennessee Tech soccer team's regular-season finale Sunday afternoon against Lindenwood. When the Golden Eagles and Lions gather in Cookeville, the winner will capture the OVC's regular-season title to go along with a double-bye and hosting responsibilities in the conference tournament semifinals and championship match.
Kickoff is slated for 1 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.
Sunday's contest will also be TTU's annual Senior Day with a special pre-match ceremony set to honor the careers of Lucia Cuadra, Bella Garrett, Meredith Nye, Madison North and manager Bethany Lyons scheduled.
A look at Tennessee Tech
History will be on the line for both teams, but as far as the Golden Eagles are concerned, a victory would be the program's first-ever OVC three-peat after seizing the conference regular-season title in 2022 and 2023. Tech (5-8-5, 5-2-1 OVC) put itself in this position after bouncing back with a clutch 3-1 victory at Western Illinois in the final road match of the regular season on Oct. 20.
TTU's triumph over the Leathernecks saw Allison Lee split the pipes in the first half before Ebba Melin and Katie Toney did the honors in the second stanza. The trio of goals pushed the purple and gold to an OVC-leading 29 scores this year, 10 more than the next closest club. The Golden Eagles led the league in goals scored in 2022 and 2023.
Neve Renwick leads the conference with nine goals and 20 points. Toney is third in the league with seven goals, while the McMinnville, Tenn. native's 18 points are good enough for second in the OVC.
Lucia Cuadra has the most assists in the league with seven, while Skylar Williams' five helpers are tied for second.
Junior goalkeeper Maggie Conrad has the second most saves in the OVC behind 90 stops. The Cedar Rapids, Iowa product has posted three clean sheets, all in league play.
A look at Lindenwood
In the program's third year as a Division I school, the Lions (8-4-4, 4-0-4 OVC) have a chance at their first OVC title after rolling through the first eight conference matches without a loss. Lindenwood's defense has been the story during league action, allowing only two goals in eight conference clashes.
Caroline Ritter has spent the majority of time in between the pipes for the Lions behind 12 matches and nearly 1,000 minutes of action. The freshman out of St. Louis has started six straight matches, collecting four shutouts over the stretch.
Offensively, Mackenzie Compton's five goals, five assists and 15 points are all the most on the club. Anna Johnson also has double digit points thanks to four goals and two assists.
Inside the series
Sunday's "for all the marbles" meeting will mark the fourth matchup in the all-time series. Tech leads the set 2-0-1, outscoring the Lions 7-0 in the trio of affairs. The two teams met twice in Cookeville in 2022 with a regular-season clash that ended in a scoreless draw and a 5-0 Golden Eagle win in the OVC Tournament semifinals. Tech claimed last year's meeting in Saint Charles behind a 3-0 nod.
Photo by Jim Dillon
