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MOREHEAD, Ky. – Senior Day for the Morehead State women’s soccer team is coming early this year as the Eagles will recognize midfielders Kamryn Baquero, Kennedy Baquero and Karissa Vela on Sunday afternoon before the team hosts Western Illinois for their Ohio Valley Conference opener. The two squads will face off at the MSU Soccer Field in Morehead at 1 p.m.

Morehead State (2-7-0/0-0-0) enters the contest having dropped its last three games as well as its most recent outing at home. The Eagles are 2-3 at the MSU Soccer Field this season.

MSU has been off for a week, last having played Cleveland State last Sunday. The Eagles fell to the Vikings 3-0 on the road. Prior to that, Morehead State dropped a 2-1 decision at home to Bellarmine on Thursday, Sept. 11 and a 2-1 result at Radford on Sunday, Sept. 7. The last win for the Blue and Gold was on Thursday, Sept. 4 at home against Miami (Ohio) 1-0.

The Eagles have struggled this season, but Western Illinois might be the medicine MSU needs to get well again.

“Like us, Western have played a tough schedule, but we’ve had a really good week of training,” Morehead State head coach Paul Cox said. “We are ready to attack OVC play.”

In preparation for Sunday’s match, this week the Eagles have been re-working their formations and are expected to experiment with new lineups against Western Illinois.

Before it addresses its on-field endeavors, the team will recognize the Baquero twins and Vela.

Kamryn has played in 31 games, starting 16 since she arrived from Sam Houston State for the 2024 campaign. In her MSU career, she has one goal, one assist, three points and 13 shots.

Kennedy leads the team offensively this season with two goals, one assist, five points and seven shots. She ranks among the OVC leaders in goals and points, and in per-game averages of both categories. Also a Sam Houston State transfer, in her two years at MSU, she has played in 32 games, starting 30, with five goals, two assists, 12 points and 47 shots. Last fall, she was named to the All-OVC Newcomer squad.

“Kennedy and Kamryn have been amazing since the moment they walked through the door in 2024,” said Cox. “Not only have they been key contributors on the field. They are just wonderful people who have had a positive impact both on and off the field.”

Vela is a graduate student, who is in her first season after spending two years at West Virginia State and two years at Mt. San Antonio (Calif.) Junior College. This fall, she has started eight of nine games. She scored her lone goal at MSU against archrival Eastern Kentucky. She has also taken 12 shots, four of which were on frame.

“It’s been great having Karissa this year,” said Cox. “She’s added so much on and off the field. I wish we could have her for longer than one year.”

Morehead State enters the weekend with some dubious streaks. It is on its second three-game skid this season. It is 0-3-2 in the last two seasons after having a week off. This will be the second of four such outings after a seven-day layoff this fall.

MSU has been outscored 22-5. It is both the lowest scoring output and the last time the team allowed 22 goals through nine games since 2018, when the team was also outscored 22-5. The last time the Blue and Gold had seven losses through nine games was in the spring of 2021, when the team also started 2-7.

However, not all the trends are so ominous. The last time the Eagles had just two wins through nine games was in 2023, when the team was 2-4-3 but ended up winning the OVC regular-season and tournament.

MSU has started 2-0 in the OVC in the last three years. And the Eagles will be facing just their third opponent this season who enter the contest with a sub-.500 record.

As a team, the Eagles are averaging 0.56 goals per game, 8.33 shots per game, 2.78 shots on goal per game, 2.78 corner kicks per game, 8.56 fouls per game, 0.78 offside violations per game, 6.11 saves per game and 0.89 cards per game. Their opponents average 2.44 gpg, 17.56 shots per game, 8.44 shots on goal per game, 5.78 ckpg, 9.44 fpg, 2.0 offside violations per game, 2.33 saves per game and 0.78 cpg.

Individually, Kennedy Baquero tops the squad in goals, assists and points. Vela tops the Blue and Gold with 12 shots. Freshman forward Jade Walton and freshman defender Faith Peper each adds one goal and two points. Walton has taken 10 shots. Sophomore forward Carlie Thurmond  and junior midfielder/defender Hannah Burke both have two assists and two points. Thurmond contributes eight shots, while Burke has attempted two. Three others, sophomore forwards Ava Peck and Carly Gilbert and freshman midfielder Charlotte Lee each have taken six shots.

In goal, sophomore Clarie Cress has a 2-7 record, with a 2.35 goals-against average, 51 saves, a .718 save percentage and two shutouts.

Western Illinois (1-9-0/0-0-0) has dropped its last nine outings since opening the season with a 2-0 home win over St. Ambrose (Iowa). The Leathernecks most recently fell to St. Thomas (Minn.) 2-0, Omaha 7-1 and Valparaiso 5-1 at home; and Purdue 4-0 and Green Bay 5-0 on the road since the start of September.

WIU played five straight road games between August 24 and September 7 and is 0-5 this season away from home. Its last road win came on September 29, 2004, 2-1 at Southeast Missouri. Over the last two years, Western Illinois is 1-12 in away contests. In the last three years, the team is 2-18-2. It currently is on a seven-game slide.

As a team, the Leathernecks are averaging 0.4 gpg, 5.3 shots per game, 2.5 shots on goal per game, 1.3 ckpg, 6.4 fpg, 1.5 offside flags per game, 7.1 saves per game and 0.4 cpg. Its opponents are averaging 4.0 gpg, 23.9 shots per game, 11.0 shots on goal per game, 7.3 ckpg, 7.7 fpg, 3.9 offside flags per game, 2.1 saves per game and 0.8 cpg.

This year, Western Illinois has been outscored 40-4 and shut out seven times.

Fifth-year midfielder Kayla Turner and freshman midfielder Abigail Schilling each have two goals and four points. Turner leads in shots with 10, while Schilling adds six. Freshman midfielder Simone Thorst and freshman midfielder Madeline Stickelmaier have the team’s assists with one apiece. Senior midfielder Hana Daoudi has taken eight shots.

Sophomore goalkeeper Ariel Bernard has started nine games and has a 1-8 record, with a 4.56 gaa, 55 saves, a .598 save percentage and one shutout.

MSU and WIU have met three times, with the series knotted at 1-1-1. In 2024, the Eagles won 2-0 in Macomb, Ill. In 2023, the teams tied 0-0. In 2001, Western Illinois won 4-2 in a non-conference neutral-site contest in Terre Haute, Ind., in 2001.

Last year, the Blue and Gold outshot the Leathernecks 19-3 and had a 5-1 edge in corner kicks. WIU had nine fouls to five for Morehead State. Western Illinois had all five of the games’ saves. MSU had four offside calls to three for the Leathernecks.

Peck and Mary Trudeau each had goals for the Eagles. Hedda Ornberg had assists on both scores.

Bernard allowed both goals and four saves. WIU also had a team saves. Lilly Bailey did not allow a goal and did not need to make any saves.

Ross Henderson is in his first season as the head coach. He has a 1-9-0 record. Prior to taking the job at Western Illinois, he was the head coach at Clayton State (Ga.) for four years.

In addition to Senior Day, it also is Family Weekend, Faculty and Staff Appreciation, and Youth Soccer Day. All faculty and staff will be admitted free of charge. Morehead Youth Soccer League members wearing their jerseys (sixth grade and below) also will get in free.

Among the day’s activities are face painting and balloon animals.

For ticket information, click the link: https://www.etix.com/ticket/v/16917.

Live stats can be found at the link: https://shorturl.at/W5Eqp.

The game will be aired live on ESPN+ and available at the link: https://shorturl.at/kPYBB.

Morehead State continues conference play on Thursday as it goes on the road for the first time in OVC action to face Southern Indiana at 8:05 p.m. ET. The Blue and Gold will be back at home on Sunday, Sept. 28, when it hosts Lindenwood at 1 p.m.