After a 1-1 tie with the Western Illinois Leathernecks, the University of Tennessee at Martin Skyhawks lock themselves into the eight-team 2025 Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) Women’s Soccer Championship bracket.
Junior defender Ella Rucka scored the lone goal for UT Martin in the 38th minute, which was not only her first goal of the season, but of her college career. However, this early game goal would not help UT Martin find a win. In the 72nd minute of the game, Western Illinois junior forward Hattie Mourning found the back of the net, which ultimately ended with that 1-1 score.
This tie places UT Martin into the eight-team field for the OVC Women’s Soccer Championship. UT Martin’s stat leaders remain the same from their last outing: led by junior forward Peyton Cook and sophomore defender Anna Østergaard Ibsen. Cook with four goals and 10 total points, and Ibsen with two goals and four total points. Freshman forward Addy McCleary still leads the team in assists with three.
After a tough tie, UT Martin looks to bounce back with a home game against Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Cougars (SIUE), who currently rank seventh in the OVC standings. SIUE’s leading scorers are senior forward Savannah DeFini and freshman midfielder Claire Nieroda. DeFini has three goals and seven total points, and Nieroda has two goals and six total points. Freshman midfielder Anna Zichella leads the team in assists with three.
This game against SIUE will be the last regular-season game for UT Martin. The OVC Women’s Soccer Championship begins on Oct. 30, 2025, and the final match will be on Nov. 9, 2025. UT Martin currently rank sixth in OVC Standings. The rankings are listed below.
- Little Rock Trojans | +1
- Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles | +2
- Lindenwood Lions | +2
- Easter Illinois Panthers | -3
- Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles | -2
- UT Martin Skyhawks | N/C
- SIUE Cougars | +1
- SEMO Redhawks | -1
- Morehead State Eagles | N/C
- Western Illinois Leathernecks | N/C
