Photo by Devin P. Grimes / MTSU Sidelines
The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (6-6, 3-2) played host to the Marshall University Thundering Herd (4-8-1, 2-3-1) on Sunday in spite of a torrential downpour. Unable to capitalize on plenty of chances, the Blue Raiders fell in overtime by a final score of 2-1.
The Thundering Herd attacked early in the first half. Jordan Sackaris scored the first of her two goals on the day in the second minute to put Marshall up 1-0.
The Blue Raiders followed that up with four shots, but none of them found the back of the net.
The best chance in the half for MTSU came from leading goal-scorer Peyton DePriest. Just before the first half expired, Depriest was staring at a wide-open net with the ball at her feet, but her shot missed wide right.
After the end of first-half play, both teams headed to the locker room with the scoreboard reading 1-0 in favor of the Thundering Herd.
The Blue Raiders came out attacking and shooting at will in the second half, and they were able to get off five shots in the first 15 minutes. However, none of those put MT on the board.
MTSU finally scored in the 68th minute as Taylor Hatch volleyed a corner kick and connected with Sydney Navarro for her first goal of the year to tie the game at 1-1.
In the 75th minute, DePriest slipped by the defense and had a one-on-one chance with the Thundering Herd goalkeeper, but was unable to finish what would’ve been a game-winner for the Blue Raiders.
With the score tied at the end of regulation, the game headed into overtime.
In the 98th minute of the game, the Thundering Herd finished off the Blue Raiders. Rene Ross crossed the ball into the box, where it was volleyed in by Sackaris for her second goal of the game to end the match.
Throughout the game, the Blue Raiders missed plenty of scoring chances that would have led them to victory.
“Today, we didn’t have the rub of the green, and we had some balls cleared off the goal line. We also hit a lot of posts,” said HeadCoach Aston Rhoden. “Credit to Marshall for staying in the game and fighting until they got that goal in the end.”
The Blue Raiders’ next game will be in the Lone Star State, where they will take on first-place Rice University on Sunday at 7 p.m.
To contact Sports Editor Rusty Ellis (@RustyEllis13), email sports@mtsusidelines.com.
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