By Alex Boggis, UT Martin Assistant Sports Information Director
BOONE, NC – The University of Tennessee at Martin soccer team went on the road for its second match of the young season and strung together a strong second half behind a 53rd minute goal by Megan Drake before ultimately falling short 2-1 to Appalachian State on Thursday evening.
The Skyhawks (0-2) faced a quick two goal deficit against the host Mountaineers with a pair of goals in the opening 27 minutes of the contest. Despite the early adversity, UT Martin responded with a strong second half by cutting the home squad’s shot attempts in half and holding App State off the scoreboard for the final 63 minutes of action to give the squad a fighting chance.
With an early barrage by the home squad which saw App State tally 10 shot attempts in the opening half, the Mountaineers put their first goal of the young season on the board in the 19th minute as Anna Kate Highsmith tapped in a lofted assist off the foot of Shannon Studer. They then added another goal less than eight minutes later when Izzi Wood beat the keeper to take a 2-0 advantage.
Down but not out, UT Martin found its footing in the closing minutes of the first half before its key adjustments at the half proved beneficial. After App State held its first two opponents scoreless with back-to-back ties to start the season, the Skyhawks snapped their shutout streak early in the second half as Drake scored her first goal in a UT Martin uniform off an assist by Alba Delgado in the 53rd minute.
With the score cut in half, the Skyhawk searched for the equalizer down the stretch and found a promising opportunity in the 75th minute as a pair of corner kicks resulted in two shot attempts and a save but the team’s rally proved unfruitful.
UT Martin finished the game with nine shots – including four on goal – in the contest. Drake not only scored the team’s lone goal but also tied for the team lead with Makayla Robinson as each tallied two shots on the evening. Robinson placed both attempts on goal while Hannah Zahn also recorded a shot on goal.
Freshman goalkeeper Poppy Bastock played all 90 minutes between the posts. Peppered with shots throughout the night, she recorded a season-high seven saves along with the two goals allowed.
UT Martin now turns its attention to a road matchup at Western Carolina on Saturday, Aug. 27. Action is scheduled to get underway at 1 p.m. CST and will be broadcast on ESPN+
Graphic courtesy of UT Martin Sports Information