The Murray State Racers secured a commanding 4-1 victory over the Austin Peay Governors in a Thursday afternoon match at Cutchin Field in Murray, Kentucky. This win continues the Racers’ impressive streak, as they have now recorded at least one four-goal game in each of the last eight seasons since 2017. The Racers also extended their unbeaten run against the Governors to 11 matches, with victories in the last seven encounters.
The Racers took the lead late in the first half when senior team captain Hailey Cole delivered a precise pass from just inside the midfield circle toward the attacking end. Junior Megan Wilson collected the ball inside the box and fired a shot that ricocheted off the left post and into the net, marking her first goal of the season and the second of her career. Wilson quickly followed up with her second goal of the day just three minutes later, after receiving a light touch pass from freshman Abbey MacDonald and driving down the middle of the pitch to double Murray State’s lead. This goal also marked Wilson’s first career multi-goal match.
Despite a goal from Austin Peay in the 53rd minute that cut the Racers’ lead to one, Murray State’s offensive pressure remained relentless. In the 72nd minute, Sydney Etter restored the two-goal cushion with her second goal of the season, assisted by MacDonald, who provided her second assist of the afternoon with a well-placed pass from the defensive half. Etter took the ball into the right side of the box and delivered a shot into the top left corner of the net.
Etter’s contributions did not end with her goal, as she also recorded her first assist of the year and the fifth of her career. She sent a cross-field pass to Mackenzie Tucker, who flicked a shot past the Austin Peay goalkeeper, scoring her first goal in a Racer uniform.
Murray State will conclude their two-match homestand with a game against the UT Martin Skyhawks on Sunday, September 1, at 4 p.m. CT at Cutchin Field.
Head Coach Matt Lodge expressed his satisfaction with the result despite acknowledging areas for improvement. “I’m really happy with the result. I think [the] performance was subpar for us, but when you can score four goals on a not-so-great performance—and that’s not being negative, because I think we were great in transition. We scored all four goals on counterattacks and we were very efficient, so I’m really happy with that,” Lodge said. He also praised the rotation of players in the heat and highlighted the challenge ahead with UT Martin, noting that the game will be tough but that the team is prepared for it.
Lodge also emphasized the importance of getting multiple players involved in the offense, noting that the team’s depth is a key strength. “It’s always good when you’re so reliant on Mary Hardy every year, it’s nice that she now has some help. She’s going to come good, she always does. So, once she starts chipping in too, we’re going to be a very, very dangerous team,” Lodge remarked. He praised the contributions of several players, including Megan Wilson, Sydney Etter, Mackenzie Tucker, and Abbey MacDonald, who he identified as the standout performer of the match.
