Box Score

RICHMOND, Ky. – On a cold and rainy afternoon at EKU Soccer Field, sophomore Brittany Nomady’s first career goal with less than five minutes in regulation lifted the Eastern Kentucky University women’s soccer team past conference foe Austin Peay, 2-1, and secured the Colonels’ fourth consecutive berth in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament.

EKU (7-8-3, 5-2-1 OVC) maintained its grip on second place with the win, and its hope of winning its first-ever regular season OVC title now hinge on beating Murray State in the regular season finale on Sunday and hoping first-place Southeast Missouri loses its final two games of the regular season to Jacksonville State and Tennessee Tech.

For now, however, head coach Lindsay Basalyga is just pleased with a hard-fought win in frigid conditions over an APSU team (9-7-1, 3-4-1 OVC) that nearly won the OVC Tournament last year.

“We have been challenging the players to take risks all week in training,” Basalyga said. “If you want to win, you have to take risks in the final third. That’s what Brittany did. The composure she showed to step up with her first career goal in such a crucial situation, it was big. We’re going to enjoy this victory, but then we’re going to get back to work tomorrow because we’ve got an even bigger game to prepare for on Sunday.’

EKU dominated the game offensively from the outset, outshooting APSU, 10-3, in the first half. Ironically, though, the Colonels’ only goal of that half came off the arm of an APSU defender, as an own goal in the 37th minute gave EKU a 1-0 lead.

With about a minute left in the first half, however, the Lady Govs tied it when Natalia Ariza found Joceline Quiceno, who buried a shot in the bottom right corner of the goal to make it 1-1.

Undaunted, the Colonels came out firing again in the second half, outshooting the Lady Govs, 10-5.

“The way the flow of the game was going,” Basalyga said. “It was only a matter of time.”

And after several near misses, including a shot by senior Heather Bruce that went a couple inches high of the net, Nomady finally delivered in the 85th minute, rebounding a blocked shot by junior Deja Tennon and burying a goal from 24 yards out into the upper left corner of the net.

“I didn’t think it was going in,” Nomady admitted. “But I’m glad it did. I haven’t scored in a long time.”

EKU’s 20 shots in the game were the second-most the Colonels have attempted this season. Tennon led all players in the game with four shots, while Nomady and sophomore Nicole Donnelly both attempted three shots.

“Our offense was much more dynamic today, and we made more threatening runs,” Nomady said. “We have been doing that in practice, and now it finally paid off in game.”

Ariza and Jocelyn Murdoch led APSU with two shots each.

Senior Stephanie Murray, sophomores #Emily D’Italia and Lauren Fant and freshman Paige Larkin# all went the distance on an EKU backline that delivered another formidable effort, holding the high-scoring Lady Govs to just four shots on goal. Freshman goalkeeper Annie Wickett, meanwhile, played all 90 minutes and made three saves.

“We’re at the point in the season where we know where everyone is going be on the field, and we trust each other,” D’Italia said. “We know our backs are going to make plays, we know Annie is going to make big saves and we know our forwards are going to score huge goals, like Brittany did today.”

EKU will wrap up the regular season on Sunday when the Colonels host Murray State at 1:00 p.m. at EKU Soccer Field. Senior Day will be celebrated before the game on Sunday.