Featured Photo by Jacob Burgess
Story by Jacob Burgess
Middle Tennessee State University women’s soccer beat in-state rival Tennessee Tech with a final score of 3-2 for their first win of the season.
The Blue Raiders bounced back after a slow start to the season, led by an efficient offensive performance.
MTSU held three keys to success against Tech: the goalkeeper presence, the midfield connections and the pressure in the opposition’s penalty box.
Freshman goalkeeper Demi Gronauer has so far started all MTSU games this season playing high up the field. This style of goalkeeping provides a constant option to play through and read the opponent, ready to explode off the goal line.
The biggest save of the night came during a one-on-one opportunity for Tennessee Tech. Gronauer came off the goal line, shutting down space and making herself big to make the save.
Gronauer’s impact during a game is rarely seen though. When MTSU is on the attack, she is regularly outside of the penalty box, as a pass option for her teammates.
Gronauer brings consistency. The comfortability she has with the ball to play from the back is important to the team’s play, Coach Rhoden said.
The second key to success was the player combinations in the lineup, especially in the midfield. MTSU’s 4-5-1 formation requires a midfield that runs smoothly. One duo, Megan Carroll and Hannah Murphy, were key to the win and will be crucial to future success.
Both Carroll and Murphy usually play as the defensive midfielder in the five-person midfield. Against Tech though, Carroll played as one of the central midfielders and Murphy played in the defensive midfield spot.
“They have both been playing well, and I think we just have to identify some different pairings that make sense for us to change our shape a little bit to play this opponent,” Rhoden said.
This formation allowed them to switch throughout the match based on field position. The position was always filled with either Carroll or Murphy, both knowing the role and being able to execute a play in a split second.
“That was our first time doing it for a full 90 but I think it worked really well because me and Hannah Murphy both communicate really well and work off the ball with each other,” Carroll said.
The presence around Tech’s penalty box was also key in MTSU’s victory. Playing being on the end of crosses and in position after a shot allowed MTSU to score all three goals.
MTSU’s first goal came off multiple players in the right position in and around Tech’s penalty box.
Lauren Spaanstra crossed a ball in from the left side of the field to Idun Kvaale, who was on the right side of the penalty box. Kvaale volleyed the ball into the center of the box, where two MTSU players were ready along with two trailing Blue Raiders towards the top of the box.
The increased number of players in the box brought an increase in pressure on the Golden Eagle defense, allowing MTSU to build chances deeper into the game.
Every game will be different for the Blue Raiders but taking attributes that worked from one game to the next will be required as MTSU looks to stack success.
Jacob Burgess is the lead reporter for MTSU Sidelines
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