Murray State University Athletics
Murray State
Eastern Illinois
Racers Conclude Regular Season With Tuesday Match Against Eastern Illinois
4/5/2021 4:34:00 PM | Women's Soccer
With an OVC regular-season title and the #1 seed in this year's conference tournament already secured, the Racers close the regular-season campaign against the Panthers
Date: April 6th – 1 PM
Site (Venue): Murray, Ky. (Cutchin Field)
Live Stream: ESPN+
Live Coverage Links: goracers.com/coverage
Murray State Record (Streak): 8-1 (Won 3)
Eastern Illinois Record (Streak): 2-6-1 (Won 1)
Racers All-Time vs. Eastern Illinois: 11-8-4
MSU Next Game: April 15th - OVC Tournament vs. TBD
MSU Next Home Game: Same
With an OVC regular-season title and the #1 seed in this year's conference tournament already in their back pocket, the Racers will conclude the regular season on Tuesday when they host Eastern Illinois at Cutchin Field. The match will be streamed live on ESPN+ with live stats available on goracers.com. Kickoff is slated for 1:00 p.m.
The Racers (8-1) are four points clear of SIUE at the top of the OVC table heading into the final match day of the regular season, while the Panthers (2-6-1) sit in ninth place in the league and are unable to reach the postseason. The four-team OVC Tournament field is set, with Murray State (#1 seed), SIUE, Southeast Missouri, and UT Martin among the qualified teams. While Murray State has secured the #1 seed, the other seeds are not set in stone.
All-Time Series:
Tuesday will mark the 24th meeting between the Racers and Panthers, with Murray State leading the all-time series at 11-8-4 in those contests. The Racers have dominated the most recent meetings, however, as Murray State has secured a victory in seven-straight matches against Eastern Illinois. The Racers have kept six clean sheets, and have only conceded once in those outings. The most recent encounter ended in a 1-0 victory for the Racers at Cutchin Field in Murray, Kentucky a season ago.
A Look at the Racers:
The 2020-21 OVC regular-season champs enter Tuesday riding a three-game winning streak after clinching the crown with a 3-1 victory on the road over Southeast Missouri on Friday. Rebecca Kubin scored her fourth goal of the year, while Lilly Strader's brace brought her season total to three. The Racers have outscored opponents 19-9 this season, while their 19 goals scored rank second in the OVC. The relentless attack is also generating 15.22 shots per game, which is good for third-most in the league.
Individually, Rebecca Kubin's 10 points (four goals, two assists) lead the way, while Chloe Barnthouse has posted nine points on four goals and an assist thus far. The two rank sixth and seventh in the OVC in points respectively. Additionally, Lilly Strader (3), Hailey Cole (2), Symone Cooper (2), and Lauren Payne (2) have all tallied at least two goals as the Racers feature six players with multiple goals on the year.
MSU has also seen solid play on the defensive end, conceding just twice over the last three games – both of which have come from the penalty spot. The Racer defense did not allow a single shot on goal in the second half of Friday's game against SEMO, and sophomore Saraya Young is the reigning OVC Defender of the Week after she also collected an assist in the win.
Scouting the Panthers:
While Eastern Illinois enters Tuesday's match with a 2-6-1 record on the year, they are currently on a two-match unbeaten streak after tying Austin Peay 1-1 and earning a 3-2 victory over Jacksonville State in their most recent outings. The Panthers have been outscored 18-5 this season, with just three players landing on the score sheet this year. The 18 goals conceded are tied for the most in the OVC, while the five goals scored is tied for the fewest in the league. Itxaso Aguero leads the attack with five points (two goals, one assist) after the senior midfielder scored twice in the Panthers' win over Jacksonville State. Nicoletta Anuci has also found the net twice in 2021 after her goal against JSU marked her second-straight game with a goal.
Notes:
· Senior Rebecca Kubin's goal against Southeast Missouri on Friday was her 26th in a Racer uniform as she takes over sole possession of the #5 spot on Murray State's all-time scoring list. She passed Jackie Thomas' (2000-03) 25 to break into the top five.
· For the Racers, this year's OVC title is their fifth (2008, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2020-21) regular-season crown in program history.
· Sophomore Lauren Payne is now 2-2 from the penalty spot on the season after converting for the game-winning goal on March 23rd against Tennessee Tech. Only two players in program history have made more than two penalty kicks in a season, with Theresa Reedy and Abby Jones each recording three apiece in 2004 and 2018 respectively.
· Eight different Racers, including two true freshmen, have scored a goal this season for Murray State.
· Dating back to last season, the Racers have scored a goal in fourteen consecutive matches.
· Racers have gotten six combined goals from two true freshmen this season. Chloe Barnthouse is tied for a team-high four on the year, while Hailey Cole has found the net twice.
· Barnthouse and Lilly Strader have come up clutch in big moments for the Racers this season, as both of them own a pair of game-winning goals in 2021. Strader delivered the overtime winner against UT Martin on March 9th, and again put away the decisive goals in Friday's victory over Southeast Missouri. For Barnthouse, the freshman buried the goal that put the Racers clear of Morehead State in the season opener, and then locked up three points for her side in a crucial 2-1 road victory over SIUE with her 72nd minute score on March 26th.
· Abby Jones, who became the Racers' all-time assist leader on March 9th against UT Martin, distanced herself from the #2 spot with two more in the Racers' 3-1 win against Belmont earlier in the year as the junior from Powell, Ohio recorded the 23rd and 24th assists of her career.
