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CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Senior midfielder
Brittany Kiracofe tallied her seventh goal of the season to lead the fifth-seeded Morehead State soccer team past fourth-seeded Murray State in the first round of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament on a cold and rainy Thursday night at Houck Stadium. With the 1-0 win the Eagles advance to a semifinal showdown with top-seed and host Southeast Missouri Friday at 8 p.m. ET.
It marked the Eagles’ second straight 1-0 shutout of Murray State in less than a week as the Eagles handed the Racers a defeat last Friday in Morehead.
After a scoreless first half that saw the Eagles control much of the possession, Kiracofe elevated over her defender and headed in her ninth career goal off senior midfielder
Stephanie Gildehaus’ corner kick in the 49th minute. It was the sixth assist for Gildehaus this season.
Murray State appeared to score the equalizer on a free kick outside of the box moments after the Eagles’ goal, but the Racer who headed the ball in was called off-sides and the goal was discounted.
Morehead State was in position to notch its second goal of the match in a scrum off another Gildehaus corner, but were unable to punch the ball in. From that point on the Eagle backline of senior
Sarah Phillip, junior
Alyssa Nacke, senior
Brittany MacLennan and sophomore
Lindsey Oettle, along with senior goalkeeper
Katie Blevins kept the Racers away from the net to seal the victory.
The Eagles outshot Murray State 18-11, including a 12-6 advance in the second half and eight shots on goal. Kiracofe, along with Senior forward
Devan Jordan and freshman forward
Ali Hawksford led Morehead State individually with three shots a piece. All three of Kiracofe’s shots were on frame. Murray State out-cornered the Eagles 5-3, while both teams combined for 20 fouls in the physical match.
Blevins only recorded one save in the match as her defenders kept the Racer offense at bay, while also registering her sixth shutout of the season. Murray State goalkeeper Yi Du tallied eight saves in the contest.
Morehead State handed Southeast Missouri its only loss in OVC play, a 2-1 victory for the Eagles on Oct. 7. Oettle notched the game-winning goal in the 74th minute after goals by Kiracofe and the Redhawks’ Ali Bauer in the first half.
