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MURRAY, Ky. – Murray State scored late in the first half and held Eastern Illinois women's soccer to just one shot on goal en route to defeating the Panthers, 1-0, Sunday afternoon at Cutchin Field.
The victory was Murray's first against EIU (6-8-1, 3-5 OVC) in nine all-time meetings. Eastern, which fell to 2-7 on the road this season, has lost three consecutive Ohio Valley Conference games for the first time in program history.
“We put ourselves in position to score more than one goal this weekend,” EIU head coach
Tim Nowak said. “But we didn't capitalize on our chances and the results are what they are. Lately, we've been in every game we've played, we just need to be better at making plays that count. That's on both sides of the ball. We needed points out of this weekend and we didn't get them.”
Kalli McCoy scored her fourth goal of the year with 1:11 remaining in the first half. She collected the rebound of a blocked shot by Lacey Latimer and scored from the edge of the 18-yard box.
Jenny Williams made five saves in net for EIU, her highest total in an OVC game this season.
Nowak highlighted
Kathleen Hayes,
Laura Ridolfi and
Pam Melinauskas as Panthers that played well in the loss. Hayes recorded EIU's lone shot on goal and played all 90 minutes. Ridolfi logged a season-high 50 minutes and started the second half.
The Panthers will now enter the final weekend of conference play needing points to lock up an OVC Tournament berth. Sunday's game against Jacksonville State could turn out to be an elimination game in the tournament chase. Murray State (10-7, 5-3 OVC), meanwhile, locked up an OVC Tournament berth with the win Sunday.
But first EIU will welcome rival Samford to Lakeside Field Friday for the final regular-season meeting between the two schools as OVC members. The Bulldogs are joining the Southern Conference next fall. Kickoff is slated for 3 p.m.
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Ben Turner, Asst. SID
