Thursday, October 7
Martin, Tenn.
7:00 PM
UT Martin
vs
Tennessee Tech
SKYHAWK SOCCER SEARCHES FOR FIRST EVER 4-0 START TO OVC PLAY WHEN HOSTING TENNESSEE TECH
10/6/2021 12:49:00 PM | Soccer
MARTIN, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee at Martin soccer program will approach Thursday evening's rivalry affair against Tennessee Tech with the chance to achieve something no other version of the team has accomplished since its formation in 1998: Win the first four Ohio Valley Conference matches on the radar, as tomorrow night's duel with the Golden Eagles represents the halfway point of 2021's OVC slate. Should the Skyhawks pick up the W and bring itself three more points in the process, UTM's already-comfortable lead at the top of the conference standings could grow to an even wider proportion.
Under the direction of 12th-year head coach Phil McNamara, UT Martin has undoubtedly been one of the most successful programs in the OVC. Just look at the school's four league regular season championships and two conference tournament titles since 2009 for proof of that statement. Despite the team's profitable endeavors over the past decade plus, the Skyhawks have never started 4-0 against OVC opponents, instead coming inches away from that feat on more than one instance.
UTM's last two regular season crowns – in 2013 and 2018 – featured two major close calls to what would have been a 4-0 OVC start, beginning with the former year where the Skyhawks dropped their league opener before going on to topple their next seven foes. Just three seasons ago, coach McNamara's club finished the regular season at 9-0-1 in league play, although the fourth contest ended in that lone tie to deny the team the aforementioned four-for-four streak out of the gates.
Looking at Thursday's matchup versus TTU on paper, the Skyhawks seem to have the advantage in nearly every statistical category on their home turf, competing against an in-state adversary who only claims one victory to their credit this semester. The Golden Eagles' lone win over Liberty way back on August 22nd hasn't translated to any form of consistency, as the visitors have been outscored by a combined margin of 13-4 over the course of seven appearances.
Tennessee Tech will put an end to a week's long rest when traveling to Martin tomorrow night, thus far sitting at 0-2 against OVC schools after a 4-3 setback versus preseason favorite SIUE and a 1-0 loss to Morehead State on the final day of September. Meanwhile, the Skyhawks have steered in the complete opposite direction 11 matches into the fall semester, riding an ever-improving offensive unit and a league-best back line that has given up the fewest number of goals among all nine teams competing in the conference (11) while scoring 21 themselves.
Dating back to the latter half of the spring schedule earlier this year, UT Martin has emerged victorious in seven consecutive Ohio Valley Conference meetings in the regular season, concluding with a win by a combined 21-5 clip. Coincidentally, that streak began against Tennessee Tech back on March 26th, a 1-0 double-overtime thriller in Cookeville.
It's been extremely difficult for opposing sides to pinpoint who will be the most efficient performer on any given day/night for the Skyhawks, as six different players have been recognized by the OVC this season alone for the league's weekly honors. After posting back-to-back 4-1 wins against Eastern Illinois and Southeast Missouri, both freshman forward Brooke Kala and graduate defender Kamryn Chappell landed the conference's Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week accolades, joining Erica Myers, Jill Hildreth, Bella Roberts, and Maria Castaldo among an elite group of performers who have collected similar honors this fall.
The navy and orange currently hold a 14-10-1 all-time advantage against the Golden Eagles in a series that dates back 23 years, taking the last three matches after last season's 105-minute marathon. Coach McNamara has been nearly perfect against Tennessee Tech since taking over the program at 9-2 since 2010, while the Skyhawks as a whole have gone 9-4 vs. their rival when competing on their home turf.
Thursday evening's tussle with TTU will get underway at approximately 7:00 p.m. in Martin, where live-streamed coverage of the event can be found directly at ESPN+.
Under the direction of 12th-year head coach Phil McNamara, UT Martin has undoubtedly been one of the most successful programs in the OVC. Just look at the school's four league regular season championships and two conference tournament titles since 2009 for proof of that statement. Despite the team's profitable endeavors over the past decade plus, the Skyhawks have never started 4-0 against OVC opponents, instead coming inches away from that feat on more than one instance.
UTM's last two regular season crowns – in 2013 and 2018 – featured two major close calls to what would have been a 4-0 OVC start, beginning with the former year where the Skyhawks dropped their league opener before going on to topple their next seven foes. Just three seasons ago, coach McNamara's club finished the regular season at 9-0-1 in league play, although the fourth contest ended in that lone tie to deny the team the aforementioned four-for-four streak out of the gates.
Looking at Thursday's matchup versus TTU on paper, the Skyhawks seem to have the advantage in nearly every statistical category on their home turf, competing against an in-state adversary who only claims one victory to their credit this semester. The Golden Eagles' lone win over Liberty way back on August 22nd hasn't translated to any form of consistency, as the visitors have been outscored by a combined margin of 13-4 over the course of seven appearances.
Tennessee Tech will put an end to a week's long rest when traveling to Martin tomorrow night, thus far sitting at 0-2 against OVC schools after a 4-3 setback versus preseason favorite SIUE and a 1-0 loss to Morehead State on the final day of September. Meanwhile, the Skyhawks have steered in the complete opposite direction 11 matches into the fall semester, riding an ever-improving offensive unit and a league-best back line that has given up the fewest number of goals among all nine teams competing in the conference (11) while scoring 21 themselves.
Dating back to the latter half of the spring schedule earlier this year, UT Martin has emerged victorious in seven consecutive Ohio Valley Conference meetings in the regular season, concluding with a win by a combined 21-5 clip. Coincidentally, that streak began against Tennessee Tech back on March 26th, a 1-0 double-overtime thriller in Cookeville.
It's been extremely difficult for opposing sides to pinpoint who will be the most efficient performer on any given day/night for the Skyhawks, as six different players have been recognized by the OVC this season alone for the league's weekly honors. After posting back-to-back 4-1 wins against Eastern Illinois and Southeast Missouri, both freshman forward Brooke Kala and graduate defender Kamryn Chappell landed the conference's Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week accolades, joining Erica Myers, Jill Hildreth, Bella Roberts, and Maria Castaldo among an elite group of performers who have collected similar honors this fall.
The navy and orange currently hold a 14-10-1 all-time advantage against the Golden Eagles in a series that dates back 23 years, taking the last three matches after last season's 105-minute marathon. Coach McNamara has been nearly perfect against Tennessee Tech since taking over the program at 9-2 since 2010, while the Skyhawks as a whole have gone 9-4 vs. their rival when competing on their home turf.
Thursday evening's tussle with TTU will get underway at approximately 7:00 p.m. in Martin, where live-streamed coverage of the event can be found directly at ESPN+.
Players Mentioned
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