Clarksville, TN – After a year-long hiatus from the Ohio Valley Conference Soccer Championship, head coach Naomi Kolarova has led Austin Peay State University (APSU) soccer back to the postseason for the first time in her tenure as head coach and the third time in the past four years.
The Governors will take on Belmont in the first round of the OVC Soccer Championship, a 3:00pm, Friday, November 1st, 2019 in Martin, Tennessee.
For the eighth time in the programs 18-year history, the Governors will play in the OVC Soccer Championship. The Governors have never won the OVC Soccer Championship, but posted their best finishes in 2010 and 2012 when they were runner-ups.
The winner of the Governors Friday match with Belmont will advance to take on UT Martin at 2:00pm, Sunday, in the quarterfinals.
Opponents
Belmont
APSU vs. Bruins All-Time: 6-5-3
Last Meeting: October 27th, 2019 (L, 0-1)
All-Time OVC Championship Record: 4-6-1
Last OVC Soccer Championship Game: Southeast Missouri, October 27th, 2017 (L, 1-2)
The Governors should be familiar with the Bruins; the two teams were matched up in the regular season finale. Belmont scored the lone goal of the match in the sixth minute, but the Governors offense posted a season-high 18 shots for the second straight game. Belmont won the match last week to qualify for the tournament; now the Governors get another shot at them in the first round of postseason action this weekend.
If the Governors win Friday… UT Martin
APSU vs. Skyhawks All-Time: 5-12-2
Last Meeting: September 29th, 2019 (L, 0-2)
APSU vs. Skyhawks Postseason: 0-1-0
Last OVC Championship Game vs. UT Martin: November 4th, 2012 (L, 0-2) – Championship Game
Last time out against UT Martin, Hendrikje Baurmann scored twice in a three-minute stretch as the Skyhawks knocked off the Govs, 2-0, at Morgan Brothers Soccer Field. The last postseason matchup between the two teams was in the 2012 OVC Championship match, where the Skyhawks won 2-0. The program’s all-time leading scorer, Tatiana Ariza, who fired three shots with one on frame, led the Governors in the that match.
The offense has run through Claire Larose and Anna McPhie in the final month of the season. A London, Ontario, native Larose has posted eight points in October, scoring two goals and assisting on four more. A freshman from Nelson, New Zealand, McPhie has accounted for seven points, scoring three times and assisting on one goal.
Mary Parker Powell has been excellent in goal for the Governors down the stretch, posting a 0.82 goals allowed average in the month of October. The senior from Germantown, Tennessee, made 30 saves in the final month of the season to help lead the Govs back to the postseason.
The entirety of the 2019 OVC Soccer Championship will be broadcasted live on ESPN+ for fans to enjoy. The first weekend of the OVC Soccer Championship will be played on the campuses of the third-seeded, UT Martin, and the fourth-seeded, SIU Edwardsville. One team from each site will advance to the second weekend, where they will take on Southeast Missouri or Murray State in the semifinals. Regular-season champion, Southeast Missouri, will host both semifinal matches and the championship in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
