The Murray State Racers soccer team returns to action this weekend as they host IUPUI Friday at 3 p.m. in Murray, before traveling to Oxford, Mississippi to take on Ole Miss Sunday at 6 p.m.
Head coach Matt Lodge and the Racers head into this week boasting a 2-0 record on the year after collecting two wins at Cutchin field. MSU earned a 1-0 win over Western Kentucky in their season opener before a 2-1 overtime victory against Northern Kentucky.
MSU Freshman Abby Jones has been a solid offensive performer for the Racers in her first two career matches. She was named Ohio Valley Conference Offensive Co-Player of the Week after she recorded her first career goal against WKU (Aug. 17) and picked up two assists in Murray State’s overtime win against Northern Kentucky (Aug. 19).
Goalkeeper Alex Steigerwald has also been solid in goal for the Racers. The senior has posted two wins, picked up eight saves, logged 181 total minutes in goal and recorded a shutout in Murray State’s two contests this season.
Murray State soccer will offer a promotion for National Peach Pie Day this Friday at Cutchin Field, as peach pie and ice cream will be served to fans while supplies last.
Match Notes
Due to unforeseen equipment issues, Friday’s soccer match will not be available on the OVC Digital Network. Highlights and a full recap will be available following the game on Goracers.com. Coverage of Sunday’s competition against Ole Miss can be followed online at OleMissSports.com, where live stats and streaming via Southeastern Conference Network Plus are available.
Friday’s contest will feature the ninth installment of Murray State versus IUPUI, with the series even at 4-4-0 all time.
MSU and IUPUI split in their last two matches, as the Racers last defeated the Jaguars 2-1 in 2014 meeting at Cutchin Field.
While it will be the first regular season meeting ever for MSU and Ole Miss, the Racers did face off against the Rebels at Ole Miss Soccer Stadium in Oxford during the opening round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament. The Racers dropped that match 0-1.
First-year head coach Matt Lodge picked up his first two career wins last week with wins over WKU and NKU.
Miyah Watford, who recorded Murray State’s two goals in their overtime victory over NKU, adds her name into the MSU soccer record book, becoming the 64th Racer in history to record two or more goals in a single game.
Following Sunday’s contest against Ole Miss, the Racers will return home for the final time in August to play FAU (Aug. 31) at Cutchin Field. MSU will be back on the road for five consecutive road games beginning with a trip to Chattanooga (Sept. 7) and following with matches at Southeast Missouri (Sept. 13) and Georgia (Sept. 16). The Racers will end their five-game road stretch in Illinois facing off against Eastern Illinois (Sept. 21) and SIUE (Sept. 23) before returning home to Murray to take on Tennessee Tech (Sept. 28) at Cutchin Field.
Courtesy of MSU Athletics