MOREHEAD – The Morehead State women's soccer team will host Radford 11 days after seeing its nine-game home unbeaten streak come to an end. It will be the Eagles' final out-of-conference contest this season as the team also prepares to host Eastern Illinois on Sunday. The combination of games marks the Blue and Gold's only two-game home stand of 2024.
Radford (5-2-1) comes to the MSU Soccer Field for a Thursday tilt with kickoff at 4 p.m. Morehead State (3-3-2) is 1-1 at home this fall. The Eagles defeated Detroit Mercy on their own pitch 1-0 on Aug. 25, before falling to Northern Kentucky 1-0 on Sept. 8.
"Radford are a quality opponent," said MSU head coach Paul Cox. "(They are the) defending Big South (Conference) champions, have individual quality in every department and will provide a tough final test for us before we enter OVC (Ohio Valley Conference) play."
The Blue and Gold does have a quirky and favorable statistical benefit heading into the contest. It is 2-1-1 in Thursday games this season. However, the Highlanders also have a winning mark on the day, 3-0-1, which includes victories over William & Mary (4-1), Emory & Henry (5-0) and Appalachian State (4-2), as well as a 2-2 tie against Richmond in their most recent contest one week ago.
Morehead State started the season 3-1-1 but has since struggled, dropping games to Wright State (3-0) on the road and NKU at home, before tying Mercyhurst 2-2 on the road this past Sunday.
The Mercyhurst result featured the Eagles' best statistical offensive outing of the season. In addition to the two goals, it accumulated four assists for a total of eight points.
MSU has struggled to score much in its recent games, recording only four goals in the last five contests. It has particularly been hampered by slow starts, averaging just 3.2 shots in the first half of those five outings. Conversely, the Eagles have finished strong, averaging 7.0 shots in those games' second halves.
No Eagle has been more effective offensively than freshman forward
Carlie Thurmond, who is either leading or tied for team-high honors in goals (three), assists (two), points (eight) and shots on goal (seven). She also is second in total shots (13), one behind junior midfielder
Kennedy Baquero.
What makes Thurmond's accomplishments even more impressive is she is playing less than half a game. She is 13th on the squad in minutes played, with just three starts and 336 total minutes, which equates to 42 minutes per game. Her points-per-minute average of 42.0 is more than twice that of the next closest Eagle, freshman forward
Ava Peck (96.2).
On Sunday, Thurmond scored 15 minutes and 10 seconds after entering the game in the first half and then added an assist 13 minutes and 22 seconds after her initial appearance in the second half. She accounted for three points in a span of 43 minutes of playing time.
Peck is second in points with five, followed by Baquero and sophomore forward
Hedda Ornberg, who each have one goal (for two points), and senior forward
Erin Fite, who has two assists (for two points).
Freshman
Lilly Bailey has retaken the role of starting goalkeeper. Through three games, she owns a 2.35 goals against average, nine saves, a .692 save percentage and an a 0-1-1 record. Freshman
Claire Cress boasts a 0.95 gaa, 22 saves, a .786 save percentage, a 3-2-1 record and two shutouts.
As a team, MSU is averaging 0.88 goals per game, 10.3 shots per game, 3.5 corner kicks per game, 9.5 fouls per game, 2.38 offside calls per game and 4.0 saves per game.
Its opponents claim averages of 1.25 gpg, 13.9 shots per game, 4.13 ckpg, 7.63 fpg, 3.38 offside flags per game and 3.63 saves per game.
Radford started the season 5-1-0, but then dropped a 1-0 home decision to Wofford on Sept. 8, before tying Richmond at home 2-2 last Thursday. The Highlanders are 2-1 on the road this fall, winning their last two outings at Appalachian State (4-2) and Mount St. Mary's (2-0).
Thursday's meeting will mark a contrast of styles as RU is an offensively-oriented squad. It has scored at least two goals in six of its eight games. It is averaging 3.13 gpg and 14.8 shots per game. The team also has 28 assists on its 25 goals.
Additionally, Radford has taken 5.63 ckpg, been whistled for 7.86 fpg, been flagged for being offside 2.13 times per game and collected 4.5 saves per game. Its opponents sport averages of 1.38 gpg, 13.5 shots per game, 3.0 ckpg, 8.75 fpg, 1.5 offside flags per game and 5.63 saves per game.
Junior midfielder/forward Lilly Short leads the team with six goals, three assists and 15 points. She is one of five players with double-digit shots at 13, 12 of which have come on goal. Sophomore forward Eileen Albers follows with five goals, two assists, 12 points and a team-best 17 shots. Junior forward Paige Olson has one goal, six assists, eight points and 11 shots; with sophomore forward Jashyra Johnson chipping in two goals and two assists for six points; and sophomore midfielder/forward Ava Kertgate contributing two goals, one assist, five points and 10 shots. Graduate student defender Helena Willson is tied for second on the squad with 13 shots.
Three goalkeepers have seen time in net, with senior Jordan Phillips leading the way with a 5-2-0 record, a 1.33 gaa, 28 saves and a .778 save percentage, while also being a part of two shutouts. Sophomore Lexi Radvanyl has a 0-0-1 mark, a 1.86 gaa, eight saves, a .727 save percentage and also has contributed to two shutouts.
A total of 30 Highlanders have seen the pitch this season, with five having started every game (Short, Albers, Olson, Willson and Phillips).
The two teams met twice at the beginning of the century, with Radford holding a 2-0 series lead. The Highlanders won 6-1 in Morehead on Sept. 15, 2002, and 5-1 at home on Sept. 14, 2001.
Radford's 11-1 scoring advantage is matched by Cincinnati (9-1), Illinois State (9-0), Indiana (8-0), IUPUI (13-4), Kent State (8-3), Kennessaw State (3-0), Ohio (10-4), Ohio State (16-2), Purdue (10-0), Samford (15-0), Vanderbilt (4-0) and West Virginia (4-0) as teams the Eagles have played at least twice, have yet to beat or tie and have been outscored by a wide margin.
The last time the Eagles hosted a team from Virginia was in August 2022, when James Madison pulled out a 4-0 victory. MSU has faced two other teams from the Old Dominion and is undefeated against them (4-0 over VMI and 2-0 over Longwood).
Morehead State's last win over a Virginia college was in 2022, when it defeated VMI 3-1 in Lexington, Va. MSU also beat VMI at home 2-1 in September 2021.
The game's action can be seen at
https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/9bbccb32-afe1-42a3-ba7e-a7e9ecc5526c. Live stats are available at
https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=532816. Thursday's promotion will be an Eagle Cookout beginning at 4 p.m. It will be hosted by Aramark with hotdogs and free soccer T-Shirts courtesy of Buffalo Wild Wings.
The Blue and Gold stay home to host its OVC opener when Eastern Illinois comes to Morehead for a 1 p.m. matchup on Sunday.
