By Brandon Burke, UT Martin Sports Information
Mirroring their first two results from an OVC-only spring campaign six months ago, the University of Tennessee at Martin soccer team has leapt firmly to the top of the league’s standings with six points on six bouts left to go, utilizing a relentless offensive push next to the usual sublime defense to knock off the Panthers of Eastern Illinois for the second straight occasion on Thursday night, 4-1.
As the rain forecast dwindled away, the Skyhawk offense was just heating up thanks to a 20-10 shot output behind eight on-goal opportunities. Four different UTM performers found the back of the net for head coach Phil McNamara’s club – two of which did so for the first time in their collegiate careers – tilting the navy and orange to a 14-4 total difference on the scoreboard when racing up and down Skyhawk Field.
The senior-freshman pair of Makayla Robinson and Jill Hildreth added up for six shot tries in the three-score victory, which translated to the team’s first bisection of scores 35 minutes apart from one another. A solo boot from the former at the 25:49 stamp handed the first-year Californian her third goal of the season to grant UTM the tight 1-0 lead after the opening 45-minute stretch.
Until Thursday’s sprint had commenced, the Skyhawks had drifted into an unfamiliar offensive lapse over a three-week period, silenced in the second half over three contests in a row, including the OVC-opening win at Austin Peay which featured the lone score of the match before anyone could seemingly blink. Coach McNamara’s squad firmly smashed their way out of that slump in the second stanza on Thursday, finding 65% of their shot attempts during that stretch behind three more scores for good measure.
After 15 minutes of pounding on the door towards their second score of the evening, Hildreth landed her 17th career strike off the second assist of the semester by defender Catey Hunt. 115 seconds later, a freshman connection from Robinson to midfielder Brooke Kala put the Panthers in an insurmountable hole at 3-0.
Not one to quit with 28 minutes still ticking, Eastern Illinois at last put a small dent in the deficit once Serra Pizano converted a corner kick opportunity and ricocheted double-assist into a crafty goal, only the 10th score given up by UT Martin in as many appearances (still the lowest number of all nine schools in the Ohio Valley Conference).
The Skyhawks’ vexing back line ensured there would be no miracle comebacks from the visitors after the minor slip-up, adding one more concession tap at the 88:30 mark off the leg of true freshman Emma Elliott with an assist by classmate Kala.
Nicoletta Anuci and Eva Munoz registered two shots apiece as the Panthers tried to keep up with UTM’s ferocious offensive display, albeit to no avail. Five different home jerseys tallied at least that same number of shot attempts in the blowout, gifting the Skyhawks six points towards their conference resume, the highest number one can achieve through two matches thanks to the final results of said bouts.
Already the all-time program leader in matches played, graduate goalie Erica Myers scooped up win # 36 to her personal record while only needing three saves to aid to the victors’ efforts. The Holland, Ohio native has now surpassed the 300-save threshold during her five-year tenure, helping the Skyhawks to a 17-10 advantage when all is said and done over the first month and a half of the semester.
Fresh off the team’s 2-0 start to league activity, UT Martin heads back on the road for a one-off matchup with Southeast Missouri State next Sunday at 1:00 p.m. One of three schools picked to finish higher than the Skyhawks in the preseason OVC rankings, the Redhawks haven’t gotten off to the start they were hoping for in 2021, saddled with a 3-7 record after a 2-1 setback at Murray State on Thursday.
UTM has emerged victorious in three out of the last four meetings against their near foe, most recently downing SEMO last April by a 4-2 decision on their home turf.
Graphic Courtesy of UT Martin Sports Information