RICHMOND – The Morehead State soccer team scored two unanswered goals to retake the "Bluegrass Cup" from archrival Eastern Kentucky in a 2-1 win on Thursday afternoon at the EKU Soccer Field in Richmond, Ky.
The victory was the first this year for the Eagles and coach Paul Cox and snapped a string of five consecutive winless efforts against the Colonels. It also was the final outing of MSU's three-game season-opening road trip and the home opener for EKU. The Blue and Gold is now 4-2-1 in its last seven road games.
Watch coach Cox speak about the win.
Morehead State (1-1-1) got a goal from junior midfielder
Kennedy Baquero and the game-winner off the foot of freshman forward
Carlie Thurmond.
Eastern Kentucky (0-3-0) got on the board just four minutes and 10 seconds after kickoff with an unassisted tally by Ana Manning. However, Baquero answered in the 19th minute on a 20-yard shot from the right side, which she placed into the upper right corner off an assist by senior forward
Erin Fite, who was seeing her first action of the regular season.
The score remained 1-1 into halftime, but the Eagles got back on the board with a score in the 56th minute. Sophomore defender
Hannah Burke lofted a ball from the right sideline to the goal mouth in the middle of the field that EKU keeper Ruby Morgan tried to bat down, but the ball landed at the feet of Thurmond, who tapped it into the back of the net just inside the left post from a few yards out. Burke was credited with the assist on the play.
See Thurmond discuss the victory and her game-winning goal.
With less than 10 minutes remaining, EKU earned a free kick deep in the Eagles' defensive zone, but the hosts were unsuccessful in converting it into a shot as Morehead State cleared the ball out of its end and Eastern Kentucky was unable to mount another threat as MSU came away with the win in the 17th game of the series. The Eagles now lead 8-6-2. It was Morehead State's first victory over the Colonels since 2015 and its first in Richmond since 2014.
MSU had a decisive advantage in shots (20 to 9), including an 8-3 edge in attempts on frame. The Blue and Gold also had more corner kicks (6 to 3) and more fouls (10 to 4), while the Colonels were flagged for being offside six times to just three for MSU.
Both teams received two cards, but Eastern Kentucky's Ella Grode drew an expulsion after receiving a pair of yellows.
The hosts held a slight edge in possession percentage (51 to 49), but MSU had the ball in the Colonels' defensive end for 52 percent of the game.
Thurmond finished with a team season-high six shots, while Baquero and graduate student defender
Anna Lohrer each recorded three. Manning got off five for the hosts.
Freshman goalkeeper
Claire Cress made two saves in the Eagle net, while Morgan was credited with six.
Morehead State opens its home slate with a Sunday contest against Detroit-Mercy at 1 p.m. It will be "New Student Day Gear Giveaway." Following UDM, the Eagles will go on the road for their next two games.
