Bloomfield’s First Career Strike, LaRoche’s Heroics, Propel Trojans to Overtime Victory

Monday, November 2

Foley, Ala.

6:30 p.m.

Troy University

2-8-1

Texas State

4-9-1

TROY

Texas State

Bloomfield’s First Career Strike, LaRoche’s Heroics, Propel Trojans to Overtime Victory

11/2/2020 10:58:00 PM | Soccer

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

By: Troy Athletics Communications

FOLEY, Ala. -- Freshman Erin Bloomfield took a perfect ball from junior Kate Eubanks just five minutes and 44 seconds into overtime to send Troy to the Sun Belt Conference Quarterfinals, Monday night at the Foley Sports and Tourism Complex.

Bloomfield's right-footed strike gave the Trojans a 1-0 victory, Troy's first in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament under head coach Ged O'Connor.

The result would not have been possible if not for the heroics from freshman keeper Lindsey LaRoche who made eight clutch saves to preserve her second clean sheet of the season.

The Trojans (2-8-1) recorded the first dangerous chance of the match when Alisa Detlefsen's corner kick in the first minute was punched away by Texas State's goalie Beth Agee.

Following a dangerous fifth minute attempt that was saved by LaRoche, neither the Bobcats (4-9-1) nor the Trojans were able to record a compelling chance until the 27^th minute when Sydney Kammer's shot struck the top of the crossbar before falling into the arms of LaRoche.

Over the final 20 minutes of the opening period, both Troy and Texas State had an opportunity to score, but neither resulted in the first goal of the match.

Following the halftime break, LaRoche came up clutch multiple times, including the in 58^th minute when the keeper smothered a shot from Kiara Gonzales.

Troy's best scoring opportunity of the half came in the 85th-minute when Bloomfield's cross from 25-yards out narrowly missed a Trojan before falling into Agee's arms on the far post.

Following a five-minute break between regulation and overtime, the Trojans put the game away for good when Bloomfield took Eubank's perfect 70-yard service and knifed through the Bobcat defense.

With the victory, Troy advances to the Sun Belt Tournament Quarterfinals, where the Trojans will meet Georgia State. The two programs have played twice this season, a 1-1 draw in Troy and a 1-0 Panthers victory in Atlanta.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:
• Troy won its Sun Belt Conference Tournament opener for the first time since the Trojans defeated Georgia Southern, 3-0, in 2015.
• The Trojans won an overtime contest for the first time since last season's 2-1 victory at Louisiana (Oct. 27). Troy was 0-1-1 in two overtime matches this season (Draw vs. Georgia State; Loss at South Alabama).
• Bloomfield's goal was her first career goal.
• Troy and Texas State have played back-to-back 1-0 overtime contests. Last season the Trojans dropped the Bobcats 1-0 on a 99th minute goal from Maddie Brune.
• LaRoche's clean sheet is her second career shutout. The freshman recorded her first shutout against Coastal Carolina on Oct. 18.

GED TALKS:
"Tonight, was a great team effort. Our team stuck to the tactical game plan and stayed the course. All year long we've felt like we are better than our record indicates. Tonight, we played eight true freshman and kept a clean sheet against a good Texas State team. Now it's time to move forward to another tough game against Georgia State Wednesday night."

Kate Eubanks:
"Heading into overtime we talked about how we needed to do a better job of clearing the backline. When Mel [Kuya-Strobel] passed me the ball back I knew I needed to clear their backline because I knew our forwards were high. And then Erin was in position and she finished the ball perfectly."

Erin Bloomfield:
"I saw Kate put her head down which usually means that she's going to play the long ball over the top. I just tried to time my run to meet the ball. Luckily their defender missed it and I was on the end of it and found a way to slot it into the back of the net."