Ace Hunt
GoSycamores.com

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- For the second time this season, Indiana State sophomore Kate Johnson scored two goals in a match -- this time at home versus UT-Martin -- as the Sycamores earned a 4-2 victory over the SkyHawks on a picture perfect afternoon in front of 230 fans inside Memorial Stadium.

The Sycamores improved to 3-4-0 on the season while UT-Martin fell to 1-6-1.

Johnson opened the scoring in the eighth minute when she took a long cross off the foot of freshman Abby Reed and then beat the defender to put the ball into the net from short range to give the Sycamores a quick 1-0 lead.

Abby Reed then padded the Sycamore advantage in the 29th minute as she took a cross from Sydney Lovelace where Reed beat the keeper in the penalty box for a 2-0 advantage.

UT-Martin battled back with a goal from Alyssa Curtis in the 33rd minute as she took a rebound off the cross bar and put the ball in at the front of the net. The Curtis goal cut the ISU lead down to 2-1 as the Sycamores would take the lead into the half.

The match proved to be physical as UT-Martin ramped up the pressure in the second half and both teams had chances at the goal before Johnson broke through in the 82nd minute for her second goal of the match and her fourth of the season on a header off a free kick from Lovelace to stretch the ISU lead out to 3-1. Johnson has now scored two goals in a match twice this year (the other coming against Green Bay at home). She also tied a school-record with two goals scored in a match.

UT-Martin continued to attack the goal but Emily Chura sealed the victory in the 87th minute as she defended a SkyHawk pass in the Sycamore offensive zone and found the loose ball to give her a one-on-one opportunity against the UT-Martin keeper. Chura dribbled towards the goal and fired into the net from 12 yards out to give the Sycamores a 4-1 lead.

UT-Martin had a corner kick late in the match when Michelle Calmeyn took a rebound and placed the ball in the back of the net with four seconds on the clock but the Sycamores held on to earn the 4-2 victory over the SkyHawks.

Abby Keller earned the start in goal for the Sycamores and she played the entire 90 minutes, allowing a pair of goals and recording five saves. Mariah Klenke was in goal for UT-Martin and played all 90 minutes with four goals allowed and three saves.

The Sycamores owned a 20-14 advantage in shots while shots on goal were level at seven. Johnson paced Indiana State with five shots, including a team-high two shots on goals with two goals. Abby Reed owned four shots, including her goal and added an assists. Lovelace posted a pair of assists in the match.

Indiana State owned a 13-2 lead in shots during the first half, but UT-Martin countered with 12 shots in the second half against seven for the Sycamores. All told, nine different Sycamores took shots in the match, six different Sycamores who were credited with shots on goal.

The Sycamores now return to road to play each of their next five matches away from Memorial Stadium. Indiana State will play at Toledo on Friday, September 20 with kick-off set for 5:00 p.m. (ET). The Sycamores also travel to Eastern Michigan on September 22 and open MVC play at Loyola on September 27. ISU then travels to IPFW on September 29 before finally returning home to take on Illinois State October 4 at 7:00 p.m. (ET) and open a three-game home stand.