Rachel Essner
Staff Writer
After a shortened season, the No. 1 ranked Murray State soccer team suffered a heartbreaking 1-0 loss to No. 4 SEMO in the semifinal game of the OVC Tournament on Thursday, April 15.
The Redhawks scored the only goal of the game in the 12th minute after redshirt sophomore forward Morgan McCourt made a pass to freshman midfielder Emma Brune who put the ball in the top of the goal.
SEMO led Murray State 1-0 into halftime despite the Racers outshooting the Redhawks 13-5 and owning 57% of possession time. Sophomore goalkeeper Jenna Villacres tallied two saves during the first half.
The Redhawks were able to protect their lead throughout the next 45 minutes, fighting off the Racers’ seven second-half shots. However, SEMO was not able to enhance their lead with their five second-half shots thanks to four saves from Villacres.
The Racers outshot the Redhawks 20-10 during the semifinal game, including 13 corner kicks versus SEMO’s one.
Sophomore forward Lilly Strader, senior defender Izzy Heckman and redshirt junior midfielder Symone Cooper each contributed four shots to the 20 total. Villacres collected six saves.
The Redhawks added another shutout to their already OVC-leading five shutouts. However, Murray State lost their 15-game scoring streak as well as their 10-game home winning streak against OVC opponents.
The Racers closed out the season with an abundance of awards. Finishing with a 9-2 record, Murray State was the OVC regular season champion and earned many player honors. Freshman forward Chloe Barnthouse and Heckman were named to the All-OVC First Team, sophomore defender Saraya Young and sophomore midfielder Lauren Payne were named to the All-OVC Second Team and Barnthouse, Villacres and freshman defender Audrey Henry were named to the OVC All-Newcomer Team. In addition, Heckman was named OVC Defensive Player of the Year while Head Coach Matt Lodge was named Coach of the Year.
The Redhawks will advance to the OVC Championship game at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 17, at Cutchin Field.
