RICHMOND, Ky. – The Eastern Kentucky University women’s soccer team will go on the road to play two important games against two of the top three teams in the OVC this weekend. The Colonels (4-8-2, 1-1-2 OVC) will face UT Martin at 5:00 p.m. on Friday and then Murray State at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday.
EKU enters the weekend in fifth place in the conference. The top six teams in the league enter the OVC tournament at the conclusion of the regular season.
Senior forward
Lauren Imsande still leads the Colonels with three goals (all of them game-winners) while sophomore midfielder
Heather Bruce has recorded a team-best three assists.
The Colonel defense is led by junior keeper
Stephanie Lynch and a senior-laden backline and has recorded five shutouts in 2009 (three of them coming against OVC competition).
In four conference games, the Colonels have allowed a league-low two goals.
EKU’s stellar defense will be put to the test this week as they face the top two scoring teams in the conference in Murray State (2.25 goals/game) and UT Martin (1.25 goals/game).
UT Martin (6-5-0, 3-1-0 OVC) is currently in second place in the conference, just a point back of Tennessee Tech. TTU dealt the Skyhawks their only conference loss of the season, 2-1 in double overtime, on Sept. 25.
Offensively, the Skyhawks are led by Brooke Robertson and Jenni Duffy. Robertson has a team-best three goals while Duffy has recorded a pair of goals and assists.
Keeper Aubrey Buehler, meanwhile, has started nine games in goal for the Skyhawks and has recorded an OVC-best 0.62 goals against average.
The Colonels are 1-3-1 all time against UT Martin. EKU defeated the Skyhawks, 1-0, last year during the regular season before falling to them in penalty kicks in the semifinals of the OVC Tournament.
Murray State (5-6-1, 3-1-0 OVC) comes into the weekend tied with UT Martin for second place in the conference. The Racers, however, were defeated by the Skyhawks, 2-0, on Oct. 4.
During conference play, the Racers lead the OVC in points (24), goals (nine) and assists (six). Murray State is led by Sophie Hargreaves, who has five goals on the season and three assists. Danielle McMurray is also dangerous on the attack as she has recorded five goals and one assist.
The Colonels are 0-3-1 all time against the Racers.
