Blue Raiders Fall, 2-1

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Visiting Southwest Missouri State score 10 minutes into the second half to take the lead and hung on for a 2-1 victory over Middle Tennessee in soccer action Friday afternoon at Blue Raider Field.

The Bears (2-4-2) ended a six-match home winning streak for the Blue Raiders dating to last season, scoring the final two goals of the match after Middle Tennessee took a 1-0 lead two-thirds of the way through the first half.

Neither team mustered many scoring chances in the opening 45 minutes, and both battled a gusting wind that favored the winners in the first half.

The Blue Raiders got on the board first when freshman Rebecca Rodriguez played across the top of the box to junior Laura Miguez in the 32nd minute, and Miguez beat SMS keeper Alexis Stormo low and right. The goal was the first of the season for Miguez and her 25th and 26th points in the last 17 matches dating to last season.

But the Bears came right back in the 37th minute, as Stephanie Schultz served a ball into the box that Blue Raider keeper Danielle Perreault misread. The ball bounced over Perreault's head and Southwest Missouri State's Katie DeCarlo put it into the net to knot the match at one heading to halftime.

Shots were 6-3 for Middle Tennessee in the first half, and the keepers had a pair of saves each.

The Bears then took the lead 10 minutes into the second half, as Caroline Rocker played a through-ball to Mary Litvan, who beat Perreault low and right for a 2-1 SMS advantage.

Perreault made two point-blank saves later in the half to keep the visitors from adding to the lead, as the Blue Raiders struggled to keep possession and create quality scoring chances.

"It's the same old story. I'm very disappointed with the way we played," Blue Raider head coach Aston Rhoden said. "We made one mistake and they got a goal out of it. We just didn't take advantage of our opportunities.

"Our level of concentration has to pick up. That's how we lost to Southern Miss and Tulane and that's how we lost today."

Middle Tennessee hosts Birmingham Southern Sunday at 2 p.m. at Blue Raider Field before hitting the road again next weekend to face Ole Miss and Mississippi State.

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