Murray State University Athletics
Thursday, October 27
Clarksville, Tenn.
7 p.m.
Murray State
at
Austin Peay
Players Mentioned
M/F
/ Women's Soccer
D
/ Women's Soccer
D
/ Women's Soccer
M/F
/ Women's Soccer
GK
/ Women's Soccer
F
/ Women's Soccer
F
/ Women's Soccer
Photo by: Dave Winder-Murray State Athletics
OVC Title On The Line As Racers Visit APSU
10/26/2016 6:29:00 PM | Women's Soccer
MURRAY STATE RACERS (8-4-3, 7-0-2 OHIO VALLEY)
Head Coach: Jeremy Groves (Kentucky, 2005)
Career: 35-18-3 (3rd season) • At MSU: Same • OVC: 23-3-2
AUSTIN PEAY GOVERNORS Â (10-6-2, 5-2-2 OHIO VALLEY)
Head Coach: Kelley Guth (Florida State, 1996)
Career: 109-149-25 (15th Season) • At APSU: Same • OVC: 43-72-16
The Murray State Racers can  clinch their second-straight Ohio Valley Conference women's soccer regular season championship when they take on the Austin Peay Governors Thursday at Morgan Brothers Field in Clarksville, Tenn. The match can be seen free online at OVCDigitalNetwork at 7 p.m..
The Racers (8-4-3) have gone through nine of 10 OVC matches unbeaten at 7-0-2. Last weekend at home, they ran their win streak at Cutchin Field to 10 with a pair of 1-0 wins over Jacksonville State and Belmont. Senior forward Taylor Richerson scored in each game as the Racers ran their OVC regular season unbeaten streak to 20 straight. Having not lost in two years, the Racers are 18-0-2 in that span. The two draws came this season at SEMO (2-2, Sept. 30) and at SIUE (1-1, Oct. 16).
The Racers can clinch the title Thursday in a number of scenarios. Murray State leads the OVC with 23 points, ahead of second place Eastern Kentucky (21 points) and Tennessee Tech (20 points). The Racers will win the OVC title with a win over APSU, not matter how it comes out when TTU plays at EKU earlier in the day Thursday. MSU can also win a share of the title with a loss, if EKU loses. In which case, they'd be co-champions with TTU and still host next week's OVC Tournament because they would win a tie-breaker after beating TTU head to head. EKU could win the title with a win over TTU and a MSU loss to APSU.
The Racers have stayed on top in the OVC with timely offense and a rock-solid defense. Â Alex Steigerwald is second OVC games with a goals-against-average of 0.48. MSU's back line has largely kept the heat off of their sophomore keeper in limiting Steigerwald to only 5.38 saves per game. And when she has to make a save, she's first in the league with a save average of 91 percent. The Racers last line of defense of Ali Critcher, Nyomi Devine, Mazie Fry and Destiny White are proven talents. Steigerwald has six shutouts this season. MSU has given only two goals in the last seven games.
After injury slowed her early, Taylor Richerson has given MSU another scorer opposite of 2015 OVC MVP Harriet Withers. When teams have decided to cover Withers with two and sometimes more defenders, Richerson has feasted by scoring six times with two assists. Withers has been excellent with seven goals and four assists.
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The Racers have been nothing short of amazing in the Coach Jeremy Groves era that is in its third season. Under Groves, the Racers are 35-18-3 overall and 24-3-2 in OVC play and on the doorstep of a second OVC title. .
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The game at APSU will mark the 17th meeting in the series. MSU leads 11-4-1 and has won the last four. APSU's last win in the series was at MSU in 2011. The Govs last win in Clarksville was 2005. Since then, the Racers have won the last four at APSU.
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When the Racers meet the Govs Thursday in Clarksville, not only will the OVC be on the line for the Racers, but the match also means another game in the Battle of the Border sponsored by Heritage Bank. For the first time, there is a running tally between these two great schools that make up one of the best rivalries in the OVC. With 67 points available (representing the 67 miles between the campuses) the fun started this fall already with the Racers beating the Govs in volleyball and football. This mean the Racers have an early 6-0 lead. Check GoRacers.com for the points system being used to determine the winner of the Battle of the Border.
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The 2016 OVC Tournament starts on Sunday (Oct. 30) when the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds host seeds No. 6 and No. 5. The top two seeds get a bye to the semifinals which will be played at the OVC regular season champion on Nov. 4. The championship game will be played Nov. 6. Five of the six teams have already been decided with Belmont and Morehead State vying for the final spot.
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Head Coach: Jeremy Groves (Kentucky, 2005)
Career: 35-18-3 (3rd season) • At MSU: Same • OVC: 23-3-2
AUSTIN PEAY GOVERNORS Â (10-6-2, 5-2-2 OHIO VALLEY)
Head Coach: Kelley Guth (Florida State, 1996)
Career: 109-149-25 (15th Season) • At APSU: Same • OVC: 43-72-16
The Murray State Racers can  clinch their second-straight Ohio Valley Conference women's soccer regular season championship when they take on the Austin Peay Governors Thursday at Morgan Brothers Field in Clarksville, Tenn. The match can be seen free online at OVCDigitalNetwork at 7 p.m..
The Racers (8-4-3) have gone through nine of 10 OVC matches unbeaten at 7-0-2. Last weekend at home, they ran their win streak at Cutchin Field to 10 with a pair of 1-0 wins over Jacksonville State and Belmont. Senior forward Taylor Richerson scored in each game as the Racers ran their OVC regular season unbeaten streak to 20 straight. Having not lost in two years, the Racers are 18-0-2 in that span. The two draws came this season at SEMO (2-2, Sept. 30) and at SIUE (1-1, Oct. 16).
The Racers can clinch the title Thursday in a number of scenarios. Murray State leads the OVC with 23 points, ahead of second place Eastern Kentucky (21 points) and Tennessee Tech (20 points). The Racers will win the OVC title with a win over APSU, not matter how it comes out when TTU plays at EKU earlier in the day Thursday. MSU can also win a share of the title with a loss, if EKU loses. In which case, they'd be co-champions with TTU and still host next week's OVC Tournament because they would win a tie-breaker after beating TTU head to head. EKU could win the title with a win over TTU and a MSU loss to APSU.
The Racers have stayed on top in the OVC with timely offense and a rock-solid defense. Â Alex Steigerwald is second OVC games with a goals-against-average of 0.48. MSU's back line has largely kept the heat off of their sophomore keeper in limiting Steigerwald to only 5.38 saves per game. And when she has to make a save, she's first in the league with a save average of 91 percent. The Racers last line of defense of Ali Critcher, Nyomi Devine, Mazie Fry and Destiny White are proven talents. Steigerwald has six shutouts this season. MSU has given only two goals in the last seven games.
After injury slowed her early, Taylor Richerson has given MSU another scorer opposite of 2015 OVC MVP Harriet Withers. When teams have decided to cover Withers with two and sometimes more defenders, Richerson has feasted by scoring six times with two assists. Withers has been excellent with seven goals and four assists.
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The Racers have been nothing short of amazing in the Coach Jeremy Groves era that is in its third season. Under Groves, the Racers are 35-18-3 overall and 24-3-2 in OVC play and on the doorstep of a second OVC title. .
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The game at APSU will mark the 17th meeting in the series. MSU leads 11-4-1 and has won the last four. APSU's last win in the series was at MSU in 2011. The Govs last win in Clarksville was 2005. Since then, the Racers have won the last four at APSU.
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When the Racers meet the Govs Thursday in Clarksville, not only will the OVC be on the line for the Racers, but the match also means another game in the Battle of the Border sponsored by Heritage Bank. For the first time, there is a running tally between these two great schools that make up one of the best rivalries in the OVC. With 67 points available (representing the 67 miles between the campuses) the fun started this fall already with the Racers beating the Govs in volleyball and football. This mean the Racers have an early 6-0 lead. Check GoRacers.com for the points system being used to determine the winner of the Battle of the Border.
Â
The 2016 OVC Tournament starts on Sunday (Oct. 30) when the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds host seeds No. 6 and No. 5. The top two seeds get a bye to the semifinals which will be played at the OVC regular season champion on Nov. 4. The championship game will be played Nov. 6. Five of the six teams have already been decided with Belmont and Morehead State vying for the final spot.
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