MOREHEAD, Ky. – After back-to-back games in which it allowed five goals, the Morehead State women's soccer coaches are going back to the drawing board in preparation for their Thursday home contest against Miami (Ohio) at the MSU Soccer Field in Morehead, Ky.
The Eagles will experiment with different lineups and possibly explore formations not used to date, when they face the Redhawks at 5 p.m.
"They're a big and powerful team who we saw in the spring," said MSU head coach
Paul Cox. "This is going to give us a unique test, but we are determined to bounce back."
Morehead State (1-4) is looking for answers to help dig itself out of a hole that includes having dropped its last three games, as well as having been outscored 10-1 in its last two outings. The latter total marked the first time MSU has surrendered back-to-back five-goal games since Sept. 12-14, 2003. The last time the Blue and Gold fell in three consecutive outings was Aug. 21-31, 2022.
The Eagles are 1-2 at home this year, with their last outing being a 5-1 decision with Eastern Kentucky last Thursday. Prior to that, they defeated Austin Peay 1-0 on Sunday, Aug. 17. The Blue and Gold is winless in Thursday regular-season contests this fall (0-2).
The good news is that MSU outshot EKU 16-15, marking the first time this season the team accomplished that feat. In addition, the 16 shots were a season high.
Redshirt sophomore goalkeeper
Sofia Rodriguez and freshman defender
Addison Petry both saw their first collegiate regular-season action on Sunday against Northern Kentucky.
This season, Morehead State is averaging 0.4 goals per game, 9.0 shots per game, 3.8 shots on goal per game, 3.4 corner kicks per game, 10 fouls per game, 0.60 offside violations per game, 5.4 saves per game and 0.80 cards per game. Its opponents sport averages of 3.0 gpg, 17.2 shots per game, 8.0 shots on goal per game, 4.8 ckpg, 9.2 fpg, 1.6 offside flags per game, 3.6 saves per game and 0.8 cpg.
Graduate student midfielder
Karissa Vela and freshman defender
Faith Peper have scored the team's goals. Sophomore forward
Carlie Thurmond, senior midfielder
Kennedy Baquero and junior defender/midfielder
Hannah Burke each have one assist. Freshman forward
Jade Walton and freshman midfielder
Charlotte Lee lead the team with six shots apiece. Vela and Thurmond follow with five apiece.
In the net, sophomore goalkeeper
Claire Cress owns a 1-4 record, with a 2.89 goals-against average, 24 saves, a .649 save percentage and one shutout. Rodriguez has no decisions, a 4.0 gaa, with three saves and a .600 save percentage.
Miami (3-2-0) marks the fifth team out of six with at least a .500 record entering its contest with MSU. The Redhawks have won their last two, a 3-0 Sunday victory at home over Tennessee Tech and a 3-0 Thursday victory at home over Chicago State. Prior to that, they fell on the road to South Carolina (2-0) and Bellarmine (2-0), and defeated Queens, N.C. (3-2) in Charlotte, N.C.
MU is 1-2 on the road having just dropped its last game.
As a team, Miami is averaging 1.8 gpg, 14.4 shots per game, 5.8 shots on goal per game, 5.2 ckpg, 13.6 fpg, 3.4 offside violations per game, 2.6 saves per game and 0.6 cpg. Its opponents boast averages of 1.2 gpg, 7.2 shots per game, 3.8 shots on goal per game, 2.4 ckpg, 7.2 fpg, 0.2 offside flags per game, 4.0 saves per game and have not been carded.
Sophomore forward Millie Cook paces the team with three goals and six points. She also has taken six shots. Junior forward Katie O'Malley follows with two goals, one assist, five points and nine shots. Junior midfielder Moreha Hoefen has three assists, three points and six shots. Four others have scored this season. Senior midfielder Shae Taylor leads the Redhawks with 10 shots.
Junior Doninique Popa has played every minute in goal. She has a 3-2-0 record, with a 1.20 gaa, 13 saves, a .684 save percentage and two shutouts.
Courtney Sirmans is the team's head coach. She is in her eighth year and has a 47-61-18 record.
Miami leads the all-time regular-season series 8-1, but the two teams met last spring in Oxford, Ohio, and finished in a 0-0 tie. The Eagles lone win came at home (1-0 in overtime) in 2009 and sport a 1-3 record in contests played in Morehead. The last regular-season meeting came in 2021, when MU won 2-0 at home. The Redhawks have won the last three games in the series. In the last home contest for the Blue and Gold, MSU fell 2-1 in double overtime (2019). Other games in Morehead included a 2-1 double-overtime defeat in 2006 and a 4-0 loss in 1999.
Thursday's dual promotion will include a T-shirt giveaway, sponsored by Buffalo Wild Wings, where the first 100 students will receive a free MSU soccer t-shirt. It also will be "Eat an Extra Dessert Day!". CAB and Root-a-Bakers will provide complimentary cookie decorating.
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=596339.
ESPN+ will provide a live broadcast available at the link:
https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/eventCalendarId/401781273?gameId=738634&sourceLang=en&om-navmethod=espn%3Aglobalsearch%3Aresults.
Morehead State continues its pattern of alternating home and away games, by hitting the road to face Radford on Sunday in Radford, Va., at 1 p.m. The team will be back in Morehead next Thursday to entertain Bellarmine at 7 p.m.
