APSU soccer hits OVC road for Murray State, Sunday

APSU Sports Information: APSU Soccer

Clarksville, TN – Austin Peay State University women’s soccer team looks to get back on track with a 1:00pm, Sunday, Ohio Valley Conference match at Murray State.

The Lady Govs struggled in the league’s opening weekend, dropping matches to Southeast Missouri, 3-1, and UT Martin, 2-0. Not only is the three-game skid the longest this season, but it’s also the most consecutive losses since 2009. Over the three-game span, Austin Peay has simply lost the ability to find the back of the net. The Lady Govs have outshot opponents by seven attempts, 39-32, but have managed only one goal.

“It’s always a challenge to play on the road,” head coach Kelley Guth said. “We had a disappointing weekend to open the conference. Our focus this week is to regroup and get excited about playing at Murray State. We’ve made some adjustments that I think will make a difference this weekend.”

Junior forward/midfielder Jocelyn Murdoch leads Austin Peay with nine shots over the past three games. Murdoch is the team’s second-leading shot-taker behind sophomore Tatiana Ariza, who also leads the Lady Govs with 11 goals. Ariza has not scored a goal since September 15th at Lipscomb.

Much of Austin Peay’s struggles also can be linked to its young defense. The Lady Govs are 0-4 in games where they allowed two or more goals and have lost only once when allowing one goal. Over the past three games, Austin Peay has been outscored 6-1.

Murray State, the Lady Govs’ travel partner, is Austin Peay’s weekend opponent in the only game for both teams. The Racers played to a 2-2 tie with UT Martin and lost to Southeast Missouri, last weekend. Having only scored eight goals as a team, this season, the Racers are led by Shauna Wicker’s three goals. In net, keeper Yi Du has made 33 saves, while allowing 14 goals.