By Brandon Burke, UT Martin Sports Information
MARTIN, Tenn. – With a three-game slate away from home now in the past, the University of Tennessee at Martin soccer squad returns to the familiar confines of Skyhawk Field for the next three dates on the 2021 non-conference schedule. First up on the docket for UTM’s streak of home bouts: the North Alabama Lions representing the Atlantic Sun Conference. While the Skyhawks and UNA have ventured in opposite directions to begin the fall campaign, their matchup on Thursday evening will stand as the first meeting between the two schools since 1999, putting an end to a 22-year gap.
Thus far on the season, UT Martin has only enjoyed the benefit of competing at home on one occasion, which coincidentally took place in the opener against Southern Illinois. The Skyhawks toppled the Salukis in impressive fashion back on Aug. 19th under the lights, stifling SIU to the tune of only two shots allowed over the entire 90-minute 2-0 result. The freshman-senior tandem of Makayla Robinson and Jaden Hildreth stocked the team with the first two strikes of the season in the 59th and 76th minutes.
Forced to then hit the road for the next three dates against Little Rock, Indiana, and Indiana State in a seven-day stretch, UTM finished that journey with a 1-1-1 output while saving the most profitable result for last versus the Sycamores last Sunday. Emphatically wiping away the offensive struggles of consecutive outcomes without a score to their credit, the Skyhawks got the better of ISU in Terre Haute by a 2-1 cushion thanks in large part to Jill Hildreth’s two-goal performance that included the game-winner at the 70:14 mark.
Gaining attention from the Ohio Valley Conference with back-to-back weekly honors – Erica Myers being tabbed the league’s Goalkeeper of the Week following the first two matches, leading to Hildreth’s christening as OVC Offensive Player of the Week seven days later for the first time in her career – the Skyhawks will prepare to meet North Alabama with an increasing wave of momentum anchored by an improving offense and a halting back line.
Tied with Morehead State for the fewest amount of goals given up in the conference through four matches with only two, UTM will hope to capitalize on a less-than-stellar North Alabama offensive attack, speaking of a team that has only mustered a single score over their first four appearances resulting in two ties and losses.
A 2-0 season-opening setback for the Lions against the aforementioned MSU Eagles preceded a scoreless tie versus the same Southern Illinois team that the Skyhawks disposed of three days earlier. Another stalemate – this one a 1-1 final on a neutral field with Miami (Ohio) – led to a 1-0 loss to Kansas State in UNA’s last appearance on Sunday.
While both teams have produced the same number of shots on goal this season (13), the Skyhawks hold the edge in total shot attempts at 33-27, however it is the defense of head coach Phil McNamara’s group that has gifted UTM the highest level of success to this point on the season with half the non-conference schedule gone.
The all-time series history between the Skyhawks and North Alabama reads 1-1, with both meetings taking place during the first two seasons of UT Martin’s existence as a soccer program in ’98 and ’99. Grabbing a 4-2 win over the Lions at home in the school’s first ever season, UTM was dealt an overtime defeat in the rematch one year later in Florence, leaving things unsettled awaiting the third all-time meeting on Thursday evening.
First touch is set for 7:00 p.m. on the second day of the month, where live-stream coverage of the event can be found on ESPN+.
Graphic courtesy of UT Martin Sports Information