The UT Martin Skyhawks women’s soccer team has been performing at their best, going undefeated in their last three matchups with two wins and a tie.
Just before conference play, the Skyhawks welcomed the Jacksonville State Gamecocks to conclude non-conference play.
The Skyhawks’ defense had one of their best performances all season, holding the Gamecocks to just three shots with no shots on goal and no shots in the first half. The Skyhawks were able to put up 19 shots with 10 being on goal.
Only three players for the Skyhawks played all 90′ minutes in the match: defenders Allie Carroll and Nasti Tanninen, along with graduate goalkeeper Mac Titus.
In the 90′ minute, one of the 10 shots on goal would fall after the ball was placed in the left side of the box, resulting in a double pass finding sophomore forward Addy McCleary who sent it to the back of the net. The final from Martin, Tennessee: 1-0 Skyhawks.
“We had a game plan against them as an extremely tough opponent in the attack,” said head coach Mike Varga. “They scored a lot of goals this year, and I feel like we followed that part of it pretty well and created some chances on the other end. Looking at the stats, we limited them to three shots, and I thought defensively we played very well.”
The next day, the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) named Carroll defensive player of the week and Titus goalkeeper of the week. This is both of their second OVC awards of the season.
Following the Gamecocks matchup, the Skyhawks hit the road for their first conference opponent, the Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles.
In the first half, both teams had similar stats; the Skyhawks had five shots compared to the Screaming Eagles’ six shots, and both teams had two shots on goal.
In the second half, the Skyhawks put up similar stats to their first half with four shots. The Screaming Eagles surged in the second half, putting up nine shots with four on goal, bringing their total on the night to 15 shots with six on goal. Fortunately, the Skyhawks were able to hold on, resulting in a final score of 0-0.
After the match, Titus would once again be named OVC goalkeeper of the week, marking her third time receiving the award this season and her seventh time through her career.
Following the Screaming Eagles matchup, the Skyhawks returned home to Skyhawk Soccer Field for their first OVC home opponent, the Lindenwood Lions.
The Skyhawks had an early start to the attack, putting up seven shots with two shots on goal in the first half. They also held the Lions to only three shots with one on goal.
To start the second half, senior forward Peyton Cook scored in the 50′ minute, which was enough for the Skyhawks to emerge victorious. Cook has two goals on the season and is tied for the goal lead amongst the Skyhawks alongside Carroll, McCleary and junior midfielder Unni Wolf.
“Lindenwood is an excellent team; they were picked to win the conference, so it was good to show, for our confidence, that we were right there with them,” said Varga.
Next up for the Skyhawks is the SIUE Cougars on the road in Edwardsville, Illinois, at Bob Guelker Field at Ralph Korte Stadium. The last matchup between the two ended in a 0-0 tie where SIUE would out-perform UT Martin in penalty kicks after two overtimes.
