MOREHEAD | Visiting Eastern Kentucky scored four unanswered second-half goals and rolled past the Morehead State women's soccer team 5-1 on Thursday night at the MSU Soccer Field in front of a boisterous near record crowd.
With the victory, the "Bluegrass Cup", fought over by the two programs since 2005, returned to the Colonels after the Eagles won the meeting in Richmond, Ky., last year.
Despite the outcome, MSU coach
Paul Cox thought it was one of the team's best performances of the season.
Morehead State (1-3-0), desperate to find some offense after scoring only once in the first four games and managing a total of 18 shots, got a goal from graduate student midfielder
Karissa Vela.
The Eagles also outshot Eastern Kentucky (4-1-0) 16-15 and had more corner kicks (4-3). The shots were a season high and the first time this season MSU took more than its opponent.
After EKU's Emma Spivey's header scored off an assist from Chiara Premoli on a set piece in the 37
th minute, Vela got the equalizer two minutes and 35 seconds into the second half after a double assist from junior defender
Hannah Burke and sophomore forward
Carlie Thurmond.
However, defensive breakdowns led to the next three goals, including two off set pieces and a third off a penalty kick.
The Colonels' Sydney Taylor was taken down in the box by freshman defender
Olivia Lowe in the 50
th minute, and Taylor sent the penalty kick into the left side of the net.
Nine minutes and 28 seconds later, the Colonels pushed the margin to 3-1 after Taylor converted a Premoli corner kick.
The fourth goal was similar to the third, with Ella Grode converting off passes from Maddie Murphy and Ana Manning at 61:02.
The final score came at 70:45, when Emma Wolf converted a Nicki Klosterman pass and squeezed it inside the left post.
MSU continues to lead the "Bluegrass Cup" regular-season series 9-7-2, although EKU is 5-1-1 in the last seven meetings, not including an exhibition victory in 2023.
The Eagles fell to 1-2 at home on the season.
In addition to shots and corner kicks, MSU won the battle of fouls (nine versus 10). EKU received the lone yellow card. Both teams were flagged for being offside once.
A total of 11 players across both teams took a team-high two shots. The Eagles in that group included Vela, Burke, Thurmond, junior midfielder
Hannah Carter and freshman defender
Faith Peper.
Taylor was the lone Colonel to put both of her shots on goal.
MSU sophomore goalkeeper
Claire Cress made several nice plays but was only credited with two saves. EKU's Ruby Morgan registered six saves and the visitors were also beneficiaries of a defensive save.
Morehead State goes on the road to face Northern Kentucky on Sunday at 1 p.m. The Eagles are back at home next Thursday when they entertain Miami (Ohio) at 5 p.m.
