MOREHEAD, Ky. – For the second straight game, a late goal by the opponent doomed the Morehead State women's soccer team as it fell at home to Bellarmine on Thursday night at the MSU Soccer Field in Morehead, 2-1.
Senior midfielder
Kennedy Baquero scored for the Eagles on a free kick in the 22nd minute, her second straight home outing with a goal.
However, Morehead State (2-6) was unable to overcome the Knights' attack as the visitors tallied goals in the 17th and 82nd minute to pull away to the victory. In both cases, McKenzie Carle converted on her shot with an assist by Sidney Rigsby.
MSU played well for most of the night but had a pair of defensive lapses that caught up with them.
"We are struggling with some of the most fundamental stuff that's costing us games," said a disappointed Morehead State head coach
Paul Cox.
Bellarmine (5-0-2) extended its unbeaten streak to seven games and remained undefeated on the road this season (3-0).
The Knights opened the scoring at 16:18 after a free kick was taken by Aubrey Bally 30 yards out in the middle of the field. Rigsby ran onto the ball jumped and headed it across the goal mouth from the right side around nine yards that MSU goalkeeper
Claire Cress was unable to handle. Carle followed up by running onto the ball and slide it underneath a nearly horizontal Cress at the goal line. Both Bally and Rigsby were credited with assists on the play.
Morehead State answered at 21:03 when graduate student midfielder
Karissa Vela was taken down from behind about 19 yards from the goal in the center of the field. A free kick ensued that Baquero hit over Bellarmine's 9-player wall and curled into the left side of the net out of reach of late-reacting goalkeeper Anna Jenkins.
The game-winning score came at 81:43 mark when Rigsby strung a ball through three Eagle defenders that reached the feet of Carle, who kicked it on the ground where it ricochetted off the right goalpost and into the net from about eight yards.
Morehead State had four shots in the second half, with its best attempt coming after Vela headed a corner kick that Rigsby stopped with a header of her own just yards off the line that eventually landed in the hands of Jenkins in the 75th minute.
Bellarmine led the contest in shots (16-11) and corner kicks (4-2). The Knights also had more fouls (7-3). Both teams were flagged for being offside three times. The Eagles had the lone yellow card.
Vela led the Blue and Gold in shots with three.
Carle had four shots for the visitors.
Cress finished with eight saves, one shy of her career high, while Jenkins was credited with two.
Bellarmine held possession of the ball for 51 percent of the match and was on the attack for 51 percent of its time with the ball. MSU was on the attack for 45 percent of its possession time.
The Eagles fell to 2-3 at home this season.
MSU will look to regroup when it travels to Cleveland State on Sunday for its final non-conference contest of the season. The Eagles and Vikings will tangle at 1 p.m.
