Transfer rallies UTM to exhibition victory

Sophomore defender Ashley Reveiz likes her new team so much that she tied the game with her first touch of Friday night’s match against visiting Western Kentucky.
Alyssa Curtis broke the tie at the 58:57 mark when she dribbled down the left side of the field and fired the game-winning shot from 10 yards out to give UT Martin a 2-1 exhibition victory over the Lady Hilltoppers.
Reveiz transferred from Middle Tennessee for this season.
“I wanted to put everything behind me and play with an open mind because we lost to that team (WKU) twice last year,” she said. “I have been personally welcomed by this team already. We have great team chemistry already.”
UT Martin head coach Phil McNamara was pleased with his team’s effort in the exhibition. “To come back and beat a good Western Kentucky team was impressive,” he said. “I saw a couple things we have to work on, but there were a lot of positives.”
For starters, McNamara and the Skyhawks only had 14 players available. He also started two freshmen in the back four (Corrie Dew and Jaclyn Heckle).
“We also had two goals from sophomores and some great individual play,” McNamara said. “But more importantly, we had little pockets of success as a team.”
One of those things that the Skyhawks have to work on is giving up an early goal. Western Kentucky senior midfielder Courtney Rymer took a pass from Lauren Moats at the top of the box and scored from 18 yards out just 1:18 into the match to put the Lady ‘Toppers up 1-0.
“It was a great shot,” UT Martin goal keeper Mariah Klenke said. “I knew as soon as she shot it that it was a goal.”
Klenke, also a sophomore, settled down after the quick score. She played the entire 90 minutes and made nine saves.
“We came out flat, but we fought back,” McNamara said. The Lady ‘Toppers outshot the Skyhawks 15-13. “I was pleased with the work rate tonight.”
Klenke said it was a team effort. “We are a young team with only two seniors, so we all just stepped it up,” she said.
Curtis credited her offseason work ethic for her game-winner. “I worked hard on conditioning this summer and it paid off tonight,” she said, noting the one defender between her and the goal fell down and she took advantage of it as she scored the unassisted goal.
The Skyhawks will officially open their 2012 season Friday when they host Vanderbilt at Skyhawk Field. The match gets under way at 7 p.m.
Published in The WCP 8.14.12

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