COOKEVILLE, TENN. – The fifth-seeded Morehead State soccer team jumped out to a 2-0 halftime lead, but it was not enough as third-seeded Lindenwood rallied for three-second half goals, the final one on a penalty kick with less than five minutes remaining, to earn its first Ohio Valley Conference Tournament title and end the defending champs' run on an overcast afternoon at the Tech Soccer Field in Cookeville, Tenn.
However, the Eagles' season is not over. Because Lindenwood (11-5-4/4-1-4) is still transitioning to Division I, it is ineligible for the NCAA Tournament. Therefore, as the league runner-up Morehead State (9-7-6/4-3-2) will wait until Monday to learn its next opponent, which will be announced during the NCAA Selection Show at 4 p.m.
It was a devastating outcome for the Blue and Gold, which saw its two six-game winning streaks (overall and road) come to an end.
Listen as coach Paul Cox discusses the game.
The first scoring chance came from Eagle sophomore forward
Hedda Ornberg, who had a header three minutes into the contest that went just wide.
MSU got on the board in the 21st minute, when a headed back pass got behind Lindenwood's goalkeeper Caroline Ritter and went into the
right side of the net. Junior defender
Gracen Houck played a ball from 45-yards out to freshman forward
Ava Peck that Linidenwood's Eyglo Thorsteinsdottir got to first and headed to the left post out of the reach of Ritter from the center of the field just inside the box.
Morehead State had another opportunity to score after just a few more possessions as Peck played a through-ball for Ornberg, but Ritter was able to get there first and thwart the threat. A similar play by Senior forward/midfielder
Erin Fite and Ornberg a few minutes later had the same result.
Lindenwood also had its chances, including a shot by OVC Freshman of the Year Mackenzie Compton that bounced off the top of the woodwork at 18:50 and another by Rachel Jackson with less than a minute remaining that MSU freshman goalkeeper
Lilly Bailey punched over the crossbar. Bailey finished the half with four saves.
The Eagles pushed their advantage to 2-0 after Ritter was unable to stop a shot from the right flank by freshman forward
Carlie Thurmond that Ornberg cleaned up and tapped in 32 minutes and 42 seconds into the contest.
Thurmond had just entered the contest and on her first run got through the defense and had a 1v1 with Ritter on the right corner of the goal box. Thurmond got off the shot with Ritter essentially on top of her and the ball went straight up in the air, spinning as it landed, then was kicked by Jessica Dodd. But the momentum carried it toward the goal where Allison Schrumpf tried to keep it from crossing the line. However, her kick hit the right post and rolled back along the goal line before a charging Ornberg tapped it in.
It was Ornberg's 10th goal of the season, which moved her into a tie for sixth on the school's all-time list.
Despite its lead, Morehead State was outshot by Lindenwood 10-5 in the first half. The Lions also held possession for 58 percent of the first 45 minutes.
The Lions were able to come out with more energy in the second half and eventually got on the board in the 49th minute when Compton dribbled free on the right side, deep inside the Eagle defensive zone, curled in the box, took a few steps and unleashed a high shot from 15 yards away that went off the hands of Bailey and sailed into the left corner of the net.
Fifteen minutes into the second half, junior midfielder
Kennedy Baquero had a chance to put the Eagles back on the board when, after receiving a pass from Peck, she took one dribble at the top of the box in the middle of the field and got off a shot that Ritter jumped to knock over the crossbar.
Compton had a shot at the equalizer when she got behind the defense at 19:15, but her attempt also sailed over the woodwork.
Georgia Pardalos got free deep in MSU territory and had a header at the 6-yard mark that Bailey easily corralled with nine minutes remaining in the game.
About 60 seconds later, Pardalos got the ball back and found Anna Johnson on the left side of the box. Johnson took two dribbles and used her left foot to slip a shot through a small window at the left post and between the legs of a charging Bailey to tie the game.
Compton had another chance with 6:45 to play, but her shot went right of the goal. Johnson had another point-blank attempt a minute and a half later, but it went over the hands of a jumping Bailey and just over the bar.
LU had lobbied for a pair of handball calls earlier in the game and finally got the whistle it wanted when Compton went down in the box and Lindenwood was awarded a penalty kick. Houck and freshman defender
Ella Fuller were behind Compton and going for the ball but got entangled with her at 85:09.
Tasneem Dizdarevic took the PK and her shot went midway up the left post as Bailey went in the other direction.
Morehead State had a trio of late chances. The first after earning a corner kick with three and a half minutes left on the clock, but the header by freshman forward
Carly Gilbert was stopped short of the goal. Fite launched a long-distance attempt that went right of the net and Baquero's final shot was hauled in by Ritter.
MSU fell to 4-3 in its championship-game history. It was Lindenwood's first trip to the finals. It also was the Lions' first-ever win over the Eagles. The teams tied 1-1 in St. Charles, Mo., earlier this season.
Lindenwood finished the afternoon with a 26-11 edge in shots, although Morehead State had more on goal (8 to 7). LU had more corner kicks (7 to 3) and saves (6 to 5). The Eagles were whistled for 12 fouls and flagged for being offside three times. The Lions recorded 10 fouls and two offside violations. Both yellow cards were issued to MSU.
The Eagles closed the gap on possession percentage in the second half and finished the game holding onto the ball 47 percent of the time. Fifty-two percent of that was spent in the Lions' defensive zone. LU had the ball 53 percent of the afternoon and were on the attack for 66 percent of that period.
Baquero tallied three shots to pace the Blue and Gold. Fite, Ornberg and sophomore defender
Hannah Burke each registered two. Johnson had nine shots to lead the Lions. It was the highest individual total registered against MSU this season. Compton followed with eight.
Bailey made five saves, while Ritter collected six.
Graduate student defender
Anna Lohrer, Houck and Ornberg were each named to the all-tournament team.
Tennessee Tech's Allison Lee and Meredith Nye; Little Rock's Abbie Smith and Cam Jacobs; and Thorsteinsdottir, Jackson, Pardalos and Compton of Lindenwood also were selected. Compton was tabbed as the MVP.
MSU is hosting a "Watch Party" for the NCAA Selection Show on campus at the Adron Doran University Center Prefontaine Pub at 4 p.m. on Monday. The event is free and open to the public. There, the team will learn the opponents, dates and sites for its games in the 64-team tournament that will begin later that week.
ORIGINAL VERSION
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- Despite a 2-0 halftime lead, Morehead State soccer saw its Ohio Valley Conference Tournament championship go by the wayside in the second half as Lindenwood scored three times to defeat MSU 3-2 at the Tennessee Tech Soccer Complex.
Despite the loss, MSU has still secured the NCAA Tournament berth for the OVC due to Lindenwood not being eligible because of NCAA transitional status. The selection show is Monday at 4 p.m. ET.
Anna Lohrer,
Gracen Houck and
Hedda Ornberg were selected to the All-Tournament Team.
The Eagles got on the board first via an own goal at 20:47. The Eagles then made it 2-0 at 32:52 when Ornberg scored her 10th goal of the year. After an initial shot ricocheted high in the air in front of the net, the ball rolled along the line until Ornberg swooped in right left side to tap it in.
But, Lindenwood cut the lead in half at 49:14 when MacKenzie Compton connected on a 10-yard shot from the right side of the box to the upper left corner.
The Lions tied the contest at 82:46. when Anna Johnson sliced a shot past Eagle keeper
Lilly Bailey from the left side to the bottom right.
LU got the match-winner at 85:09 via a penalty kick. Tasneem Dizdarevic took the shot and connected.
The Lions ended with a 26-10 advantage in shots. Shots on goal were much closer though with LU leading 8-7. Lindenwood also had a 7-3 corner kick upperhand.
