MOREHEAD, Ky. -- Morehead State Soccer is set to host a long-time rival, Eastern Kentucky, on Thursday at the MSU Soccer Field at 7:30 p.m.
"It's a rivalry game. They'll be up for it. So will we," said MSU head coach
Paul Cox. "They're com(ing) in on a two-game win streak but we wanna bounce back from Sunday."
MSU dropped its first road contest of the season to Chattanooga 2-0 on Sunday.
The Eagles have only scored one goal this season. However, in each of the last two years, they just had two. Both of those squads went to the NCAA Tournament. In 2022, the team began the season having been outscored in its first three games 6-1. So, a slow offensive start is nothing new.
Last fall, the Blue and Gold's first victory of the campaign was against Eastern Kentucky. It came in the third game of the Eagles' season. This year, the teams are meeting in MSU's fourth outing.
Despite surrendering five goals over the first three games, sophomore goalkeeper
Claire Cress continues to play well. She has a 1-2-0 record, with a 1.67 goals against average, 19 saves, a 0.792 save percentage and a shutout. In the Ohio Valley Conference statistics, Cress sits second in saves per game (6.33) and tied for third in GAA.
As a team, Morehead State is averaging 0.33 goals per game, 6.0 shots per game, 3.67 corner kicks per game, 10.33 fouls per game, 0.33 offside flags per game, 6.33 saves per game and 1.0 cards per game. Its opponents post averages of 1.67 gpg, 16.67 shots per game, 6.0 ckpg, 8.67 fpg, 2.0 offside flags per game, 1.33 saves per game and 0.67 cpg.
Freshman defender
Faith Peper leads the Eagles with one goal and two points, which came on her lone shot of the season. Senior midfielder
Kennedy Baquero has the team's only assist. Freshman midfielder
Charlotte Lee continues to pace the club with four shots. Sophomore forward
Carly Gilbert adds three.
MSU is 1-1 at home this season and is riding a one-game win streak, courtesy of its 1-0 victory over Austin Peay on August 17.
Eastern Kentucky is 3-1 after having defeated Toledo 3-1, USC Upstate 2-0 and East Tennessee State 2-0, all at home. The Colonels' lone loss came at sixth-ranked Tennessee (9-0). EKU has dropped its last two games away from home.
Last year, the Colonels finished 12-8-3 and advanced all the way to the finals of the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament. Dating back to 2024, Eastern Kentucky is 6-2-1 in its last nine outings.
Fourteen players return from last fall, including seven starters, and are joined by 13 newcomers. EKU was picked to finish third in its league this season. Two players were named to the ASUN preseason all-conference team: sophomore forward Ella Grode and junior midfielder Chiara Premoli. Freshman goalkeeper Jordan LeVasseur and Premoli were both named as ASUN Players of the Week on Monday.
EKU is averaging 1.75 gpg, 8.5 shots per game, 0.75 ckpg, 7.5 fpg, 0.75 offside violations per game, 7.75 saves per game and 1.25 cpg. Its opponents are averaging 2.75 gpg, 20.5 shots per game, 6.25 ckpg, 11.5 fpg, 1.5 offside infractions per game, 3.0 saves per game and 1.25 cpg.
Grode has a team-best six points on two goals and two assists to lead the way. She also has taken six shots. Premoli is next with four assists and four points. She has taken just one shot. Senior midfielder Maddie Murphy and sophomore midfielder Peyton Smith each have one goal, one assist and three points. Murphy has taken five shots, while Smith has recorded two. Three other Colonels also have scored, including sophomore midfielder Avery May, who has a team-high nine shots to her credit, and sophomore forward Ana Manning, who has seven shots.
LeVasseur and sophomore goalkeeper Ruby Morgan each have started two games. LeVasseur has a 2-0 record, with a 0.50 gaa, 18 saves, a .947 save percentage and one shutout. Morgan is 1-1, with a 3.94 GAA, 11 saves, a .611 save percentage and no shutouts.
Head coach Matt Cosinuke is 46-51-14 in seven seasons with the club.
Eastern Kentucky started its program in 2005, eight seasons after MSU. The two teams had met every year for the first 15 seasons. The 2020 campaign, which actually came in the spring of 2021, would make it 16 in a row. The series continued in 2021. However, the rivals did not play in 2022 or 2023.
Morehead State leads 9-6-2 overall and dominated the early years, going undefeated in the first six matchups. The Eagles also won three straight from 2013-15. However, from 2016 through 2021, it was all EKU, with the Colonels posting a 4-0-1 advantage.
Last year, MSU snapped that streak with a 2-1 win in Richmond, Ky. The Colonels scored first, but sophomore forward
Carlie Thurmond notched the game-winning goal in the 56th minute off an assist from junior defender
Hannah Burke. Senior midfielder
Kennedy Baquero had the other goal, with
Erin Fite earning the assist, and Cress won her first career contest in the net. She finished with two saves. Thurmond took a game-high six shots.
In team statistics, 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 had two cards, but Grode was issued a red and the hosts played down a man for the final 26:17.
The last time the two squared off in Morehead (2019), the score ended 0-0 in a double-overtime tie. It was the third straight (and last) overtime contest in the series. Overall, MSU holds a 4-2-2 edge on its own field. Prior to 2019, the teams met in Morehead in 2017, when EKU claimed a 3-2 overtime victory. The Eagles went 4-1-1 in the first six games of the series played at home.
In 2021, Eastern Kentucky won 2-0 at home.
Thursday's game will have the latest local starting time this season and therefore the promotion is "After Dark Student Tailgate/Greek Night." Among the features of the event are music, games and cotton candy making. In addition, Aramark will be selling alcoholic beverages, while giving a discount to students 21 & older who bring their Eagle ID card.
Fraternities and sororities will have representatives on hand, as will other organizations, to inform students about opportunities available at MSU.
For ticket information, click the link:
https://www.etix.com/ticket/v/16917.
Live stats can be found at the link:
https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=596336.
ESPN+ will provide a live broadcast available at the link:
https://www.espn.com/watch/player?id=bae2ec56-87c1-490f-830f-90f524c7af37.
The Eagles will return to the road to face Northern Kentucky on Sunday at 1 p.m., in Highland Heights, Ky. The next home game will be on Thursday, Sept. 4, versus Miami (Ohio) at 5 p.m.
