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HomeSportsAustin Peay Lady Govs Soccer face pivotal matches this weekend

Austin Peay Lady Govs Soccer face pivotal matches this weekend

APSU Sports: Austin Peay Soccer

Austin Peay State University Lady GovsClarksville, TN – Austin Peay State University women’s soccer team closes out its regular season this weekend, traveling to Morehead State for a 6:00pm, Friday, match before finishing the 2012 slate with a 2:00pm, Sunday, match-up with Eastern Kentucky at Morgan Brothers Soccer Field.

Austin Peay Women's Soccer. (Courtesy: Brittney Sparn/APSU Sports Information)
Austin Peay Women’s Soccer. (Courtesy: Brittney Sparn/APSU Sports Information)

The Lady Govs remain in the hunt for the Ohio Valley Conference regular-season title, but need some help this weekend. One victory for conference-leading UT Martin would it to claim the regular season championship and send the Lady Govs to Martin for next week’s OVC Soccer Tournament.

If UT Martin does not win either of its games this weekend (at Jacksonville State and a home match against Tennessee Tech), the Lady Govs would need to defeat both Morehead State and Eastern Kentucky, the latter currently tied for second with Austin Peay.

The Lady Govs, winners of five of their last six matches, picked a good time to get hot this season. Juniors Haylee Shoaff (shut outs in five of the last six matches) and Tatiana Ariza (eight goals, three assists in conference play) both picked up OVC player of the week honors this week, the first weekly awards for Austin Peay in 2012.

“We came into the season with a plan,” said head coach Kelley Guth. “We wanted to maintain health and develop at the right time. We wanted to play our best soccer in October, and I think we’ve accomplished that.”

Morehead State (1-11-4, 1-4-3 OVC) was picked to finish third in the OVC back in the preseason, but has stumbled after winning two of the last three OVC Championships. Sophomore Macy Cobb is the only Morehead State athlete with more than two goals to her credit this year.

Eastern Kentucky (9-6-2, 5-2-1 OVC) enters the weekend tied with Austin Peay for second in the conference. Junior Lauren Fant garnered OVC Defender of the Week honors last week, and junior Nikki Donnelly leads the Colonels with seven goals and two assists this season.

“These are big games for us,” Guth said. “Every conference game, we’re playing for something. Our girls are excited for the challenge this weekend.”

Last Time Against This Weekend’s Opponents

Austin Peay’s 2011 campaign came to a screeching halt against this week’s opponents on the season’s final week last year. The Lady Govs 2-1 loss at Eastern Kentucky put them in a must-win against Morehead State, who subsequently handed Austin Peay its worst loss of the season in a 7-2 defeat that knocked the Lady Govs out of contention for the conference tournament.

Keep An Eye On

Tatiana ArizaJunior Tatiana Ariza needs one goal to equal Ashley Beck’s 2007 season output, which would tie her for second-most in school history with 12. One assist would give Ariza the top single-season mark in school history; her seven assists currently share the record with Andy Quiceno’s 2010 mark, which Ariza also equaled last year.

One more shutout for Haylee Shoaff would give her six this season, tying her for second-most in a single-season with Sarah Broadbent (2005). Four saves would move her past Carley Newman’s 90 in 2008 for fourth-most in a single season.

Emily PerkinsJunior Natalia Ariza needs one point to tie Jessica Hosse (2004-07) for fourth all-time in Austin Peay history with 33 career points.

Senior Emily Perkins is tied with Erica Dengler (2003-06) and Kaylee Yago (2002-05) with 12 career goals. She’s also tied with the same duo for sixth in school history with 30 career points.

Lady Govs Online

Be sure to follow all the Lady Govs action at LetsGoPeay.com, and check them out on Twitter (@AustinPeaySocr) and by liking the Austin Peay Women’s Soccer Official Page on Facebook.

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