Richmond, KY – Austin Peay State University women’s soccer team came out on the wrong end of a back-and-forth affair against Eastern Kentucky, Sunday, dropping a 3-2 contest at EKU Soccer Field.
Austin Peay (9-4-2, 4-3-1 OVC) now finds itself mired in a three-match losing streak for the first time since losing to Xavier, Southeast Missouri and UT Martin, Sept. 18th-25th, 2011. With Morehead State defeating Murray State on Sunday, Austin Peay now finds itself in a tie for fourth in the Ohio Valley Conference with SIU Edwardsville.
The Lady Govs answered back less than two minutes later. Junior Shelby Olszewski headed home a brilliant cross from senior Tatiana Ariza for her season’s fourth goal and second on the weekend. Ariza and senior Corey Osborn would challenge EKU keeper Erika Wolfer late in the first half, but the Colonels were able to hold off the Lady Govs’ charges and entered halftime with the score tied.
With less than five minutes off the second half clock, the Colonels took the lead again on a Cassie Smith goal. She took the cross from Nikki Donnelly and put it past senior Haylee Shoaff, who entered the game to open the second half.
Again the Lady Govs would answer. Senior Morgan Zigelsky would do it herself, taking it unassisted and firing a 15-yard shot into the lower left corner for her season’s second goal to knot the game at 2-2.
But the Colonels weren’t done yet. Donnelly, a senior who had been without a goal this season after earning 2012 All-OVC honors, found nylon on a 25-yard shot that hit the crossbar and went in to give Eastern Kentucky a 3-2 lead in the 67th minute that would stand for the remainder of the game.
Freshman Gina Fabbro put the ball forward on a few occasions in the game’s latter stages, forcing two saves from Wolfer in the 76th and 77th minutes, including a diving stop on an attempt that would have tied the game.
Wolfer made 10 saves in the victory, including six in the second half. Shoaff made three stops in the final 45 minutes but was saddled with the loss.
Austin Peay has just two games remaining on its regular season schedule, but those contests will be spread out over the next two weekends. The Lady Govs travel to Jacksonville State next Sunday for a 1 p.m. kickoff before closing out the regular season at Murray State (1:00pm, Nov. 3rd).
