Blue Raiders win both games in spring tournament

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Middle Tennessee continued its spring soccer season with a pair of wins in a weekend tournament at Blue Raider Field.

The Blue Raiders beat Belmont, 6-1, in their first game, and concluded the day with a 1-0 win against Austin Peay in the second game of the tournament. Middle Tennessee's soccer players also conducted a clinic with the Challenged Athletes Playing Equally (CAPE) as part of their community service work.

"More than anything it was great to get on the field again and play against some other than ourselves," Middle Tennessee soccer coach Aston Rhoden said. "We had an opportunity to see several players in different situations and that's always a good thing. The biggest thing is seeing what improvements we have made in training and apply that to the games, and then see what we need to continue to develop throughout this spring season."

The Blue Raiders led Belmont 1-0 at halftime in the first game Saturday, but the second half was all Middle Tennessee as it scored five goals to break the game open. The high-scoring duo of Kala Morgan and Holly Grogan accounted for a total of 10 points in the Belmont win. Morgan had two goals and an assist, and Grogan had two goals and one assist.

Freshman Jeanette Heltne scored one goal and assisted another in the Belmont win, and another freshman Jen Threlkeld, also got into the scoring act. Katie Daley also had an assist against Belmont.

Morgan's header off a well-placed cross from Grogan provided Middle Tennessee its 1-0 halftime lead against Belmont, and it only took 30 seconds for the Blue Raiders to get on the board in the second half when Morgan returned the favor with a cross to Grogan, who volleyed it past the keeper.

Morgan continued to play a part in the scoring on the third goal when she beat two Belmont defenders and blasted the ball from the corner of the 18-yard box. Threlkeld slotted the ball in at the near post for a 4-0 lead, and Heltne and Grogan added goals to account for the final 6-1 score.

Grogan and Morgan, who were among the nation's top 10 scorers throughout the fall season, continued their magic against Austin Peay when Morgan crossed a ball to Grogan, who slotted it into the goal for the 1-0 win.

Middle Tennessee will continue its spring practice for the next two weeks before participating in another tournament at the University of Tennessee, March 31, where they will face Tennessee and Carson-Newman.

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