By Alex Boggis, UT Martin Assistant Sports Information Director
MARTIN, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee at Martin soccer team closed out the non-conference portion of its schedule with a 2-0 victory against Alabama A&M on Senior Day behind goals by Makayla Robinson and Hannah Zahn.
The Skyhawks (2-4-2) picked up their second win of the season in convincing fashion behind a pair of second half goals by Robinson and Zahn while the defensive unit recorded their third shutout of the campaign.
Prior to the team’s final non-conference bout of the season, UT Martin honored five of the team’s academic seniors. The group of Maria Castaldo, Ryann Mushkin, Megan Drake, Sophia Mankowski and Lynette Hawkins received their deserved praise in a pregame ceremony while the squad gave their veterans a win to remember.
UT Martin outshot Alabama A&M by four in the contest but controlled the tempo of the match for all 90 minutes. The Skyhawks maintained the majority of the possession – including 69 percent of its touches coming on the attacking half.
After the score remained tied for the opening 45 minutes of action, the Skyhawks found the back of the net twice in the second half. The game’s first goal came in the 59th minute as Brooke Kala’s attempt was deflected by the Bulldogs but perfectly set up Robinson who beat the keeper with a strike into the back of the goal. The margin remained at one for nearly 30 minutes until the Skyhawks added some insurance in the closing minutes as Drake found Hannah Zahn for her first goal of the season in the 86th minute.
A flurry of substitutions to keep the team fresh saw the Skyhawks rotate frequently with only Mushkin playing all 90 minutes while only four others eclipsed 70 minutes. Those rotations also saw goalkeepers Poppy Bastock and Rachel Pugh split action with 45 minutes each for the combined shutout. Bastock got the start and tallied one save in the first half while Pugh earned her first win as a Skyhawk after notching three saves in the second half to preserve the clean sheet.
UT Martin will now turn its attention to Ohio Valley Conference play as the defending regular season champions open league action on Thursday, Sept. 22 at Little Rock.
Graphic courtesy of UT Martin Sports Information