MOREHEAD, Ky. – The Morehead State women's soccer team was unable to recapture its 2024 road success in its opening game away from home this season as it fell to Chattanooga 2-0 on Sunday at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga, Tenn.
The Eagles could not build off the momentum of their win a week ago against Austin Peay, as the Blue and Gold allowed an early goal and then another right before halftime in falling to the Mocs. Morehead State (1-2-0) struggled to find its offense all day as it only mustered six shots, one off its season low.
MSU coach
Paul Cox credited Chattanooga's play for his team's lack of success.
"(We) came up against a quality opponent. (I) think they're the best mid-major we've come up against since I've been here," he said.
The Blue and Gold started off the game as the aggressor, but Chattanooga (3-1-0) took control after the first few minutes and never let up. The hosts held a 10-4 edge in first-half shots and possessed the ball for the largest percentage of the opening 45 minutes.
"We had a couple of clear-cut chances to get back into the game but didn't take them," Cox said. "They were a team that have been together for three to four years, versus three to four weeks for us. It's a great learning moment for us."
All three of the Eagles' games to date have featured one team going scoreless. MSU has tallied just one goal this season, while surrendering five. After three games last year, the Eagles were 1-1-1 and were outscored 5-2.
Morehead State has also struggled in games after having a week off. The team is 0-3-2 since the start of 2024 coming off a break.
Chattanooga's Quinn Johnson found Clarissa Salinas by sliding the ball to a space in the middle of several defenders. Then Salinas took a straight on shot that went past MSU's diving goalkeeper
Claire Cress and inside the left post from 16 yards away at the 5:23 mark to begin the scoring.
The Mocs picked up their second goal in the 39th minute. After making multiple passes inside MSU's defensive zone, Paige Thomas got free behind the Eagle back line and slid an 8-yard shot past Cress from just outside the left corner of the goal box to the right post. Cress came off the line to challenge the shot. Caroline Richvalsky and Karoline Lauritsen were credited with assists on the play.
MSU had a few chances but only two were on frame, including a 22-yarder by senior
Kennedy Baquero that forced UTC keeper Caroline Ekern to punch the ball over the goal bar in the 16th minute.
The hosts had several additional chances to add to their lead. Cress faced 19 shots and made seven saves, the second highest total of her career.
As in every Morehead State game so far this year, there were hydration breaks near the midpoint of each half.
Chattanooga dominated the statistics, leading in shots (24-6), corner kicks (10-1) and offside flags (5-0). UTC did have more fouls 9-5, but MSU had the lone yellow card.
Sophomore forwards
Carly Gilbert and
Carlie Thurmond had a team-best two shots apiece for the Eagles. Richvalsky had five to lead the hosts. Salinas and Thomas each added three.
Cress fell to 1-2-0 on the season. Ekern made two saves and raised her record to 3-1-0.
The Mocs controlled the ball for 61 percent of the afternoon and kept it inside MSU's defensive half for 63 percent of their possession time. Morehead State had the ball on UTC's side of the field for 39 percent of its time with the ball.
Chattanooga improved to 3-0 at home this year and now has more victories at Finley Stadium than it did all of last season. It also snapped a four-game winless skid against the Eagles that dates back to 2004. MSU had outscored the Mocs 4-1 since that meeting and held them scoreless in the last three contests. Overall, UTC leads the series 4-2-2 and 3-1-1 at home.
In its next game, MSU returns home to host Eastern Kentucky for the traveling "Bluegrass Cup" on Thursday, Aug. 28 at 7:30 p.m.
