Story by Trevor Aldridge
Photos by Kaitlyn Hungerford
Murfreesboro- The Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders (4-5-1, 1-0-1) hosted the Rice Owls (4-4-1, 1-0-1) in an early season Conference USA game at Dean Hayes Stadium in Murfreesboro on Thursday night. The two teams proved to be evenly matched, playing to the tune of a 2-2 draw.
The Blue Raiders jumped out to a 1-0 lead just seven minutes in when junior forward Peyton DePriest netted her team-leading seventh goal of the season. She was able to skillfully place the shot into the bottom right corner of the goal thanks to a crisp pass from senior defenseman Casey Riemer, who was credited with the assist. They quickly scored again with a successful penalty kick by senior midfielder Claire Ramet, giving them a 2-0 edge less than ten minutes into the game.
The Owls got on the board late in the first half with a penalty kick goal from freshman midfielder Izzy McBride, who had just subbed into the game five minutes earlier. The goal was the first of McBride’s collegiate career. They tied the game early in the second half on a goal from senior forward Haley Kostyshyn.
Scoring opportunities were scarce from that point on, with the game going into extra time and neither side able to score a golden goal. The Blue Raiders finished the night with an 11 to 5 advantage in shots on goal. The draw was the first of the season for both teams.
What’s next?
MTSU is now tied with Rice for third in the C-USA standings and will visit second-place North Texas on Sunday, with the game slated for a 1:00 PM kickoff.
