Murray State University Athletics
Murray State
Eastern Illinois
Murray State And Eastern Illinois End OVC Season With A Tie
10/23/2005 5:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
EIU needed a win today or a Samford University loss in order to claim its first league championship since 2000. However Samford's win over Austin Peay, coupled with EIU's tie, propels the Bulldogs to their third straight OVC regular season title.
Murray State got off to a slow start and Eastern Illinois controlled the ball for much of the first 15 minutes of the match. The Panthers however couldn't cash in on their scoring opportunities before the Racers righted the ship and limited EIU for the rest of the first half.
"We knew it would be a close game," said Murray State Head Coach Mike Minielli. "Their defense is good but we could have played better with the ball."
Eastern Illinois came out of the halftime break and played more aggressively. The Panthers attempted 10 second period shots and limited MSU to only one. EIU's first five shots were not on goal and junior Heather Jones saved the next four in order to keep Eastern scoreless.
Murray State had a scoring opportunity in the closing seconds of the second period but Laura Oppegard's shot sailed just right of the goal. The Racers had two shots on goal in the first overtime period, but Tiffany Groene made saves on both.
Eastern Illinois got the only shot in the second overtime, but it was not on goal.
Both goalkeepers turned in stellar performances. Jones totaled nine saves in 110 minutes of action. Groene finished with three saves.
EIU finished with a 17-5 advantage in shots and a 12-3 edge in corner kicks. Trisha Walter led all players with five shot attempts.
The Racers will close out their regular season schedule with two non-conference matches next weekend. On Friday Murray State will face Arkansas State at 3:00 p.m., at Cutchin Field on the MSU campus. On Sunday, the Racers host South Dakota State at 11:00 a.m.
