Oakland soccer shuts out Tullahoma to reach Region 4-AAA finals

MURFREESBORO – Behind four different goal scorers and its eighth shutout of the season, Oakland cruised into the next round of the postseason and a third date with its biggest rival.

After a 4-0 win against visiting Tullahoma on Tuesday night, the Lady Patriots (11-3-2) advanced to their second consecutive Region 4-AAA title game where they will host Siegel (10-4-4) at 7 p.m. Thursday at Ray Hughes Stadium.

Siegel defeated District 8-AAA champion Shelbyville 3-0 in the other region semifinal.

Oakland won last year’s region championship 1-0 against the Lady Stars, a team they also defeated for the regular season and District 7-AAA tournament titles this season (2-1 in both matches).

“I’m so pumped. I want to beat them again. They’re going to come out strong and hopefully we’ll come out stronger,” said Oakland’s Jenna Clothier, who had a goal and an assist in Tuesday’s win. “I’m pretty confident in this team. We’ve got a good team. Our defense is very strong and our offense is fast.”

The Lady Patriots have also secured a spot in their second straight sectional match.

A win in the region title game means they will play host to that sectional while a loss sends them on the road. Oakland won last year’s sectional against Warren County to advance to the state tournament.

Oakland was able to get past a Tullahoma (15-4) defense, which had posted seven shutouts this season and outscored its opponents 62-25, by scoring the first three goals in less than 10 minutes in the first half.

AB Hawkins opened the scoring 22:25 into the match when she took a pass from Clothier, collected it on the bounce, controlled possession and sent it past Tullahoma keeper Caittyn Houston’s left side.

Clothier added the second goal five minutes later when she put a shot past Houston’s right side. Madeline Rose drove through four or five defenders to put a shot on Houston, it deflected to Houston’s left and Kaitlyn Murphy was there to clean up for the easy goal and a 3-0 lead 31:20 into the match.

“We needed that because recently we’ve been starting the first half slow and then getting our goals in the second half. It’s been a little more nerve racking,” Hawkins said of the three-goal spurt. “With the early lead and (Clothier’s) goal afterward, it got us more hype and ready.”

Lady Patriot keeper Emma Grace Goldman saw just two shots on goal in the first half and two more in the final 32 minutes before being pulled. This was the Lady Wildcats’ first loss since a 4-1 defeat to Siegel on Sept. 27.

“Defensively, we’re very, very good. The scouting report on (Tullahoma) was their three strikers up top. We wanted to really nullify their two or three players up top and make sure we got goals early on,” Oakland coach Jeff Boynton said of the Lady Pats’ defense. “We finished a few of our chances and allowed us to get on the front foot in the first half and then in the second half we could manage the game a little bit better.”

Elaina Smith added a goal 8:54 into the second half.

Siegel 3, Shelbyville 0: Siegel’s Callie Ruf put Siegel up 1-0 early in the first half off a pass from Cori Steinagle.

Ruf then assisted on goals by Sarah Williams and teammate Madison Louk to help the Lady Stars (10-4-4) advance to the Region 4-AAA finals.