For the first time since 2015, the Morehead State soccer team is headed to the semifinals of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament after Sunday's thrilling victory over UT Martin.
90 minutes of regulation and 20 minutes of overtime proved to not be enough for the Eagles and Skyhawks, as both teams we unable to find the back of the net despite a combined 35 shots from both sides. By rule, a penalty shootout decided the match.
Both sides missed a PK, but made three of their first four, as Hadley Cytron, Erin Fite, and Kate Larbes nailed their chances. UT Martin's Alba Delgado stepped up in the fifth round looking to give the Skyhawks the lead, but Erin Gibbs made a spectacular diving save to her left to give the Eagles a chance to win in the shootout.
Anna Lohrer took advantage of that chance, finding the top left corner on her PK and sending the both the crowd and team into a frenzy as MSU advanced on PKs 4-3. Head Coach Chris Fox applauded his team's effort and resilience in the match after the victory.
"Incredibly proud of the group," said Fox. "We've had a fantastic season.... we did things the hard way today, winning on penalties, but I thought the girls played with a lot of confidence, as well as a lot of desire and courage... we're excited to see what we can do in the semifinals."
MSU held an 18-17 advantage in total shots, while UT Martin held a 9-6 advantage in shots on goal. Erin Gibbs finished with nine saves for Morehead State, continuing her phenomenal freshman season with a clutch performance in the match.
Morehead State will travel to Cookeville, Tennessee next weekend, where the third seeded Eagles will faceoff with the two seed SIUE Friday night. Kickoff from Tennessee Tech is set for 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT, as Morehead State looks to capture their first OVC Tournament Title since 2013.
By Hunter Hurst, Morehead State Athletic Media Relations