By Brandon Burke, UT Martin Sports Information
MOREHEAD, Ky. – For the fifth time in program history, the University of Tennessee at Martin soccer team can claim the Ohio Valley Conference regular season championship. Thanks to a 1-0 shutout of Morehead State in the 2021 finale on Sunday, the Skyhawks earned themselves a share of the league’s title and #1 overall seed in the upcoming OVC Tournament with a 6-2 record against conference opponents, finishing the schedule tied with SIUE for the top spot in the league standings. Since UTM owns the tiebreaker over the Cougars, they will benefit from a double BYE into the semifinal round while hosting the final two days of the conference tourney.
“I thought we were fantastic today especially following such a high level performance this past Thursday and a result that went against us”, proclaimed Skyhawk head coach Phil McNamara, who grabbed his 4th OVC regular season trophy this afternoon. “Our girls showed incredible quality and desire to win today against a much-improved Morehead State team on the road. They deserve a ton of credit to win a really competitive conference and an equally-important goal of locking down the top seed for the OVC Tournament”.
Riding a 16th-minute score from sophomore Emely van der Vliet that quickly put the Eagles in a disadvantage, UTM cruised to the road victory amidst another sublime defensive showing, holding the other side without a score for the fifth time this semester. Along with the win and conference crown, graduate goalkeeper Erica Myers officially becomes the all-time school leader in total shutouts, denying her opponent a single score for the 22nd time in her illustrious career.
Wasting no time going into attack mode right out of the gates, UT Martin rallied off their first five shots in the first third of the opening frame, eventually leading to the payoff from van der Vliet at the 15:28 stamp for the striker’s sixth goal of 2021. Kamryn Chappell and Izzy Patterson synced up for the double-feature assist on what turned out to be the only score of the afternoon, all that the Skyhawks needed to claim their second OVC title in the past four seasons.
Once bumping themselves ahead in the early going, coach McNamara’s unit went to work ensuring Morehead State wouldn’t sneak an equalizer, limiting the Eagles to just five shots for the entire match including only one in the first 45 minutes. Myers saved MSU’s second-to-last attempt at the net with 15 minutes remaining, leaving Morehead’s last ditch shot at the tie sailing too high of the target at the 86:36 mark.
Michelle Jerantowski – the Eagles’ keeper in the season-closing defeat – managed to stop six of the Skyhawks’ 11 shots when all was said and done, although van der Vliet’s early punch sealed the deal allowing UTM to coast from there.
Seven different players on the victors’ side ended the day with at least one look at the goal, led by seven put together from van der Vliet, Jill Hildreth, and Makayla Robinson. Conversely, Colleen Swift was the only Morehead State performer to land more than one shot attempt as the Skyhawks finish the regular season with a record of 10-5-1 and 15 points to their OVC resume.
“We love everything about this group of players both on and off the field”, gushes McNamara in the wake of the team’s postgame celebration. “They have a passion for this sport and our team that shows every day in practice and how they interact with each other. The staff and I have thoroughly enjoyed coaching this group and continue to appreciate the culture they are building. Additionally, we have greatly enjoyed the support at our home games this season from the UTM community which we hope will continue for the OVC Tournament!”
The opening round and quarterfinal matchups of the 2021 league tournament will begin on October 29th and 31st respectively as both UTM and SIUE earn a pass into the semi’s by virtue of their status as co-champions. A 1-0 victory by the navy and orange in Edwardsville two weeks ago grants the Skyhawks the rights to host the final two rounds in Martin, which will take place on November 5th and 7th with a chance to move on to the NCAA Tournament at stake.
Rewarded with a 12-day break before the round of four commences at Skyhawk Fieldhouse, coach McNamara and co. will await either Belmont, Southeast Missouri, or a rematch against the Eagles in the semifinals at 4:00 on ESPN+.
Graphic courtesy of UT Martin Sports Information