MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – The Louisiana Tech women's soccer team exploded offensively in the second half to outlast Middle Tennessee in a 4-3 shootout at the Dean A. Hayes Track and Soccer Stadium.
Freshman
Flavie Dube scored her fourth and fifth goals of the season while earning her first career game-winner. The freshman from Canada now leads the team in goals and points (11), and had the first multi-score game of her career.
Dube's first goal put the Techsters back on top 3-2 in the 62' off an assist from
Kalli Matlock and finished the would-be game-winner in the 78' off an assist from
Greta Streich.
LA Tech (5-7-3, 3-2-2 C-USA) started Sunday's scoring with a goal in the 9', which is the third straight match the Techsters have scored in the first 12 minutes. Kallie Matlock's shot was blocked and defelcted into the Blue Raider's net for an own goal.
Middle Tennessee (2-7-3, 0-3-2 C-USA) evened things up at 1-1 just seven minutes later off a penalty kick from Kirstine Lykke. Emma Petterson would add the Blue Raider's second goal of the day in the 38', giving Middle Tennessee a 2-1 lead at half time.
Early in the second half,
Alma Cedefors found the bottom left corner of the net off her left foot to tie things at 2-2. It was Cedefors' third goal of the season.
After Dube built Tech's 4-2 lead, the Blue Raiders answered again in the 78' from Megan Carroll to cut the lead to a single goal.
In a match that saw 36 combined shots (LA Tech 18, MTSU 18) and 18 combined shots on goal (LA Tech 9, MTSU 9), the final 12' minutes promised to be a furry of a finish.
Each team traded chances, including a shot by Megan Carroll for the Blue Raiders in the 89', but
Sydnee Korchak was able to make the save, her sixth of the day, to ice the match for the Techsters.
After a career-high 11 saves in Thursday's win over UTSA, Korchak has now racked up 17 saves in the back-to-back Conference USA wins this week. She is tied for first in C-USA in saves (66) and saves per game (4.7).
The four goals scored today ties a program record for most goals in a Conference USA match. Tech last reached the mark in last season's finale over FIU (4-0) and again in 2017 over UTSA (4-1).
Tech has now scored in four straight matches for the first time this season, putting up eight goals over that span.
QUOTABLES
Head Coach Steve Voltz…
"Unreal result today for this team. It was a total team effort, and it is just amazing to see what these women are capable of. The ability for our players to handle the mental load we have been dealt this year, to keep going and keep fighting; it's just incredible to see.
It has taken us some time to find the right combination of players because we have had to move so many pieces around, and we are finally seeing the results of trusting that process. You have to find a way to make your own breaks. When some good goes your way, you have to capitalize on those winning moments, and then good things continue to happen. I'm so proud of everyone on of our players."
NOTABLES
• LA Tech now leads the all-time series 4-1-1 and 3-1-0 in matches played in Murfreesboro.
• Tech has now won or tied in four of their last six matches.
• Tech improved its road record to 1-5-1 this season.
• LA Tech has scored in four straight matches, the best stretch of the season, scoring eight in that span.
• Tech has 11 points in the Conference USA Standings, sitting in third behind Rice (15) and UAB (14).
• UTSA and MTSU marks the first back-to-back Conference USA wins since 2018.
• This was the program's first win while allowing 3+ goals since 2010 (5-4 OT vs UTSA).
• Tech set season-highs today in points (13), goals (4), assists (5), shots (19), and shots on goal (10).
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Flavie Dube had the first multi-goal game of her career. She leads the team in goals scored with five and points with 11.
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Kalli Matlock picked up her second assist of the year, and third of he career.
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Alma Cedefors scored her third goal of the season, fifth of her career.
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Sophie Fijneman picked up her first assist of the season, eight of her career. She is the active team leader in assists and points (22).
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Greta Streich was credited with the first point of her season and career with an assist.
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Tomoyo Kuroyanagi set a new career-high with five shots.
• Fijneman played the full 90 minutes again, the 13th time in 15 matches. She has played all but 33 minutes this season.
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Laura Ogando and
Josie Studer also played the full 90. Ogando's 11th time of the season, Studer's fourth time in five matches.
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Rebecca Lancaster got the eight start of her career, and made her 10th career appearance while playing the full 90 minutes. It was the sixth time she has done so this season and the fifth time in the last six matches.
• Opponents are now 3-4 on penalty kicks against LA Tech this season.
•
Emma Jones started the 30th match of her career.
UP NEXT
LA Tech will head to Boca Raton, Fla. For a Conference USA matchup with Florida Atlantic on Sunday, Oct. 16 at noon. at FAU Soccer Stadium. The game can be seen on CUSATV.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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