Racers Net Four Goals In Victory Over Governors

Thursday, August 29

Murray, Ky.

3 p.m.

Murray State

2-2-1, 0-0-0

Austin Peay

2-1-1, 0-0-0

Austin Peay

Murray St.

Photo by: Brooke Probst/Murray State Athletics

8/29/2024 8:13:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Megan Wilson recorded her first career multi-goal game in Thursday’s home victory.

By: Drew Parsley

The Racers handled the Austin Peay Governors in a Thursday afternoon match, winning 4-1 at Cutchin Field in Murray, Kentucky. Since the 2017 season, Murray State has recorded at least one four-goal game in each of the last eight seasons.

With Thursday's win, the Racers are now unbeaten in the last 11 matchups against the Governors and have been victorious in the last seven matches.

With just over 12 minutes left to play in the first half, senior team captain Hailey Cole would deliver a pass from just inside the midfield circle towards the attacking end. The ball rolled slowly into the box where junior Megan Wilson would pick it back up and fire a shot to the left side, ricocheting off the left post and into the net for her first goal of the season and second of her career.

Less than three minutes later in the 36th minute, Wilson received a pass on a light touch from freshman Abbey MacDonald and drove down the middle of the pitch to put her second shot of the day into the left side of the net, doubling Murray State's lead and notching her first career multi-goal match.

Coming out of the halftime break with a 2-0 lead, the Racers' offensive attack did not slow down. After the Governors cut the lead to one with a goal in the 53rd minute, Sydney Etter pushed the lead back to two with her second goal of the season in the 72nd minute.

MacDonald etched in her second assist of the afternoon with a deliverance from the defending half to a running Etter, who took the pass into the right side of the box and delivered her only shot into the top left corner.

Etter's contributions did not end at scoring, as she dished her first assist this year and fifth of her career to Mackenzie Tucker. Tucker picked up a cross-field pass from Etter and flicked a shot past an outreached Austin Peay goalie to score her first goal in a Racer uniform.

Murray State closes out a two-match home week with the UT Martin Skyhawks on Sunday, September 1 at 4 p.m. CT at Cutchin Field.

Head Coach Matt Lodge on the Racers' performance:
"I'm really happy with the result. I think [the] performance was subpar for us, but when you can score four goals on a not-so-great performance—and that's not being negative, because I think we were great in transition. We scored all four goals on counterattacks and we were very efficient, so I'm really happy with that. I think we need to fix some things. Playing out, I thought improved today [and] were actually built out very well. That's probably one of the best Austin Peay teams I've played against in a long time. [They were] organized, dangerous on set pieces, knocked the ball around well. I think, on a hot day, we rotated 19 or 20 players so it was good to get a lot of rotation, and some big-time performances in some players. I'm really happy with the result."

Head Coach Matt Lodge on preparing for and facing UT Martin on Sunday:
"It'll be similar to today's game. I think old OVC rivals, and especially ones that are in really close proximity, always are going to be tough, grind-it-out games. Our two wins this year have been [over] SEMO and Austin Peay, [our] old rivals. And now we're bringing Martin to town—I think those games are always going to be tough. I think, luckily, we were able to get our two center backs and [Griselda Revolorio], we were able to get everyone a little bit of rest in the heat. But Martin, they're a good team. I think they're undefeated this year, or at least close to, so it's going to be a good test for us."

Head Coach Matt Lodge on getting multiple players involved in the offense:
"It's always good when you're so reliant on Mary Hardy every year, it's nice that she now has some help. She's going to come good, she always does. So, once she starts chipping in too, we're going to be a very, very dangerous team. I think we've now got goals from Breece [Bass], Syd, Meg, Tucker, and then you've got Morgan Bodker's penalty—that's four of your forwards have all scored goals. And to be honest, all four goals today were really good goals. Abbey MacDonald—I thought she was our best player today, and that's not taking anything away from anyone else. Meg scored two goals, Syd got a goal and an assist. But Abbey came on, controlled the game [and] got it down on the deck. [She] played some great passes, got two great assists. I think she changed our game a little bit there."

For more information on the Murray State women's soccer program, visit GoRacers.com or follow @RacersSoccer on X and Instagram.