Controversial call gives Murray State 1-0 win over Eastern
October 17, 2014
Senior Meagan Radloff and Murray State senior Julie Mooney battle for possession of the ball during a match on Friday on the Eastern practice field. The Panthers lost to the Racers 1-0. Radloff had one shot during the match.
After Friday’s 1-0 loss to Murray State, Eastern head coach Jason Cherry just had to tell his team that sometimes the game isn’t fair.
With less than 10 minutes to go in the match, Eastern had kept Murray State, the Ohio Valley Conference’s top scoring team, to a scoreless match.
On a play where the ball was sent up through the middle of Eastern’s half of the field, defender Briana Hickman went to make a play on the ball. She slipped, but managed to get a foot on the ball, sending it up in the air. The ball played off her hand and into her face and the official called a hand ball.
On the ensuing free kick, Murray State’s Pavlina Nepokojova scored from 18 yards out to give the Racers a 1-0 lead.
The goal was Nepokojova’s second of the season. Her first goal was also a game-winner on Sept. 14 against Saint Louis.
The goal gave the Racers the win, putting them at 5-2 in the OVC. The loss drops the Panthers to 1-5-1 in conference.
“Unfortunate call,” Cherry said. “The ball played the hand, the hand didn’t play the ball. I just disagree with the call. I just told them that sometimes life isn’t fair.”
Nepokojova led the Racers with seven shots and three on goal. The Racers’ leading scorer, also the conference leader, Julie Mooney, was held to just two shots and one on goal.
Cherry knew he wanted to key on Mooney, so he gave Meagan Radloff the task of defending her.
“[Radloff] did a phenomenal job defending her and not giving up any opportunities,” he said. “It just shows you how good Meagan Radloff is. She can play forward to the midfield to the back and she can do all of it at a high quality level.”
On offense for the Panthers, Hannah Miller led the team with three shots and one on goal. Senior Madison Carter had two shots and one on goal.
“That was not [Murray State’s] game to win,” Carter said. “We played awesome, played together as a team. A bad call. One mistake, that’s all it takes.”
Because Lakeside Field was again deemed unplayable because of heavy rains, the match was played at the Panthers’ practice field behind Coaches Stadium. The location for Sunday’s 1 p.m. match with Tennessee-Martin has yet to be determined.
Dominic Renzetti can be reached at 581-2812 or dcrenzetti@eiu.edu.
