Racers Come Up Short on the Road in Jacksonville

Friday, October 18

Jacksonville, Ala.

7 P.M.

Murray State

8-7-0, 5-2-0

Jacksonville State

4-12-0, 1-7-0

Jacksonville St.

Murray St.

Photo by: Dan Hasko

10/19/2019 12:08:00 AM | Women's Soccer

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Murray State women's soccer traveled to Jacksonville State to close their four-game road trip on Friday night. Despite outshooting the Gamecocks 14-4 in the match, the Racers (8-7, 5-2) fell to JSU by a score of 3-2 at the JSU Soccer Complex in Jacksonville, Alabama.

The Racers would be the team to open the scoring, doing so in just the sixth minute of action when Arianna Mendez picked up a loose ball inside the penalty area and tucked a first-time finish into the bottom corner to put Murray State up 1-0 early in the game.

The Gamecocks would answer in the 13^th minute, however, when Reilly Kucko found the net from long range to tie the game at 1-1.

JSU would go on to claim their first lead of the evening in the 30^th minute, when Cynthia Bagozzi finished a chipped effort after running onto a ball played through from Auset Gibbs to give her side a 2-1 advantage 15 minutes before the halftime break.

While outshooting the Gamecocks 7-3 and earning three corners to JSU's zero, the Racers found themselves facing a 2-1 deficit through the first 45 minutes of action.

The Racers would equalize in the 68^th minute when Abby Jones split three JSU defenders before slotting a ball across the penalty area to freshman Lauren Payne, who converted the opportunity to draw the game level once more - this time at 2-2 with just over 20 minutes remaining in regulation.

While momentum seemed to shift in Murray State's favor, JSU delivered a devastating blow when they netted the go-ahead goal in the 74^th minute, once again courtesy of Cynthia Bagozzi.

Despite having a few promising opportunities inside the final five minutes of the match, the Gamecocks were able to hold off Murray State at their home in Jacksonville as Murray State fell to JSU 3-2.

The Racers outshot JSU 14-4 overall while generating eight corner kick opportunities to Jacksonville State's one, but Murray State came up short on the score sheet for the second time in as many games.

The goals from Payne and Mendez are the second goals of the season for both players, while Abby Jones' team-high 10^th assist of the year ties the Murray State single-season record of 10 - set by Abby Jones herself just last season.

The Racers return to action on Sunday as they are set to play at Cutchin Field in Murray, Kentucky for the first time since September 29^th when they take on Austin Peay in a First Financial Bank Battle of the Border rivalry contest. Kickoff is slated for 1:00 p.m.