Troy loses to Murray State, routs Jackson State 9-0

The Troy soccer team dropped its second home game of the year on Tuesday, falling to Murray State 2-1. The Trojans then bounced back in dramatic fashion, cruising past Jackson State 9-0 in Jackson, Mississippi, on Sunday.

Troy (2-3, 0-0 Sun Belt) looked to pick up its first home win on the year, but fell short as Murray State scored in the 78th minute to decide the game. The teams headed into halftime facing a blank scoreboard before the Racers scored just six minutes into the second half.

Troy trailed for the following three minutes before Julia Winters erased the deficit. Haley Roberson picked up the assist after finding Winters for a header, her second score of the year.

“We wanted to possess the ball better than we did,” Troy Head Coach Ged O’ Connor said. “In fairness to Murray State, they did a good job of shutting us down. We made some adjustments in the second half and thought we looked a lot better.”

The goal would be the last for the Trojans as Murray State’s score in the 78th minute put the game on ice.

On Sunday afternoon, Troy improved the all-time record against Jackson State, winning all four matchups between the two. The Trojans never let their foot off the gas, topping the Tigers in a 9-0 rout.

The victory stands as the third-highest scoring game in program history. Along with the nearly record-setting goal count, Troy took 37 shots, landing at sixth in program history. Twenty-four Trojan players made an appearance in the action, with scores coming from eight different players. Troy entered the halftime break with a 5-0 advantage that began in the 11th minute when Kate Lorenz put Troy on the board.

“Very happy to keep a clean sheet coming off a tough loss,” O’ Connor said after the game. “It was great to see so many players get some serious minutes, play well and make it difficult for me to pick a starting 11 moving forward.”

Troy tacked on four more goals in the second half as the Tigers struggled to produce a shot. Jackson State only tallied four shots during the entire contest.

Troy looks ahead now to the Jaguar Classic this weekend in Mobile. The Trojans will face Jacksonville State on Friday before facing Alabama on Sunday.