Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
DePriest near history as MT comes to senior night
11/1/2019 10:30:00 AM | Women's Soccer
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — History could be made Friday night when the Middle Tennessee soccer team takes the pitch against UAB.
A win in the season finale, also MT's senior night, will be crucial for the Blue Raiders' seeding in the upcoming Conference USA Championship. Getting a big-time goal from junior forward Peyton DePriest could go a long way toward grabbing the much-needed victory, and it would also put her alone atop the program's record books for goals scored.
DePriest enters Friday's contest tied with Blue Raider great Holly Grogan for most career goals all-time at MT with 38. She's scored 14 this season, a new personal best for the Franklin, Tennessee native and one off the C-USA lead, despite playing in two fewer matches than the current leader.
"I think it's a cool achievement and definitely not something I was really working for or trying to beat … but it's cool that it might happen," DePriest said. "I really haven't been focusing on my individual goals this season, because this senior class, especially, has really made an impact on me since I've been here, and it's really just about winning for them."
DePriest's goal-scoring ability has been evident from the first time she stepped onto the pitch at Dean A. Hayes Stadium. She led the team and conference in goals with 13 as a freshman, then backed it up by tying with teammate Hannah Tillett for the team and conference high last season with 11, despite playing in only 12 of 18 matches due to an early-season injury.
Due to her big freshman campaign, the two-time all-conference nominee and defending C-USA Offensive Player of the Year has had to learn different ways to get the ball in the net over the past couple of seasons.
Opposing teams have started to focus their defense on slowing DePriest down. Having teammates like Tillett, senior Amber Hoot, junior Maddison Falter and freshman Mackenzie Bonham by her side to take some of the heat off has made a world of a difference, and they've helped put DePriest in a position to be successful.
"She understands she garnishes a lot of attention, and she has to find ways solve problems a little better," MT head coach Aston Rhoden said. "She's had to learn how to deal with defenders and how to rely on other players around her to take some of the stress off so she can have some of these moments of brilliance.
"To see her consistently improve has been awesome, but Peyton puts the work in. … For me, it's so deserving for her because she puts the work in on a daily basis."
DePriest wasn't a stranger to success prior to coming to Middle Tennessee. Twice she played in the state tournament in high school, taking Franklin High School all the way to the title game as a senior in 2016 with 29 goals in 21 games. She also won two national championships as a member of Tennessee Soccer Club, and was inducted with the team into the Tennessee Soccer Hall of Fame as a result.
That pedigree was the obvious attention-grabber for Rhoden on the recruiting trail. He knew DePriest would step in and make an impact right away; scoring 13 goals in her first year — tied for the national lead among freshmen — might have been too much to expect, though.
"She was very successful at the club level … and even from that moment was talented enough to do it at that level and that stage against some of the players she was going to face in college," Rhoden said. "I knew Peyton was going to be good as a freshman, but I didn't know she was going to get that many goals as a freshman."
Middle Tennessee (7-9-1, 4-4-1) is still in danger of missing the C-USA Championships, should it lose to UAB (4-6-6, 2-4-3) and the other league scores in the regular season's final weekend not align in their favor. However, the Blue Raiders can also still finish as high as fifth in the standings, and a win would guarantee them a spot in the tournament.
Having DePriest on their side should make the Blue Raiders plenty confident. Big-time players seem to make big-time plays when the pressure is at its highest, and the goal-scoring machine has proven in three years she's a big-time player.
"Getting to the tournament and through the first game are really big goals for us," she said. "We are a good team and we can perform really well … and our seniors have put in the work for so long, they deserve to end on the best note possible. That's really important for me."
Seven to be honored on senior night
Friday's match will also serve as Middle Tennessee's senior night. Seven girls will be honored in post game festivities: Sydney Chalcraft, Taylor Hatch, Casey Riemer, Harriet Jones, Claire Ramet, Amber Hoot and Savannah Stair.
The group has experienced quite the bounce back in its four years. After winning just four matches in their freshman season, the seniors have responded by making the C-USA Championships two years in a row, and are in a good spot to do so again this season.
"It's always an emotional night," Rhoden said. "This senior group has gone through a lot … and to see their growth says a lot about the work they've put in and the culture they've helped to change in our program. All of them are going to be missed, and all of them had made solid contributions in their own way."
"I just hope for their last home game that it will be a special game and a special night for them."
A win in the season finale, also MT's senior night, will be crucial for the Blue Raiders' seeding in the upcoming Conference USA Championship. Getting a big-time goal from junior forward Peyton DePriest could go a long way toward grabbing the much-needed victory, and it would also put her alone atop the program's record books for goals scored.
DePriest enters Friday's contest tied with Blue Raider great Holly Grogan for most career goals all-time at MT with 38. She's scored 14 this season, a new personal best for the Franklin, Tennessee native and one off the C-USA lead, despite playing in two fewer matches than the current leader.
"I think it's a cool achievement and definitely not something I was really working for or trying to beat … but it's cool that it might happen," DePriest said. "I really haven't been focusing on my individual goals this season, because this senior class, especially, has really made an impact on me since I've been here, and it's really just about winning for them."
DePriest's goal-scoring ability has been evident from the first time she stepped onto the pitch at Dean A. Hayes Stadium. She led the team and conference in goals with 13 as a freshman, then backed it up by tying with teammate Hannah Tillett for the team and conference high last season with 11, despite playing in only 12 of 18 matches due to an early-season injury.
Due to her big freshman campaign, the two-time all-conference nominee and defending C-USA Offensive Player of the Year has had to learn different ways to get the ball in the net over the past couple of seasons.
Opposing teams have started to focus their defense on slowing DePriest down. Having teammates like Tillett, senior Amber Hoot, junior Maddison Falter and freshman Mackenzie Bonham by her side to take some of the heat off has made a world of a difference, and they've helped put DePriest in a position to be successful.
"She understands she garnishes a lot of attention, and she has to find ways solve problems a little better," MT head coach Aston Rhoden said. "She's had to learn how to deal with defenders and how to rely on other players around her to take some of the stress off so she can have some of these moments of brilliance.
"To see her consistently improve has been awesome, but Peyton puts the work in. … For me, it's so deserving for her because she puts the work in on a daily basis."
DePriest wasn't a stranger to success prior to coming to Middle Tennessee. Twice she played in the state tournament in high school, taking Franklin High School all the way to the title game as a senior in 2016 with 29 goals in 21 games. She also won two national championships as a member of Tennessee Soccer Club, and was inducted with the team into the Tennessee Soccer Hall of Fame as a result.
That pedigree was the obvious attention-grabber for Rhoden on the recruiting trail. He knew DePriest would step in and make an impact right away; scoring 13 goals in her first year — tied for the national lead among freshmen — might have been too much to expect, though.
"She was very successful at the club level … and even from that moment was talented enough to do it at that level and that stage against some of the players she was going to face in college," Rhoden said. "I knew Peyton was going to be good as a freshman, but I didn't know she was going to get that many goals as a freshman."
Middle Tennessee (7-9-1, 4-4-1) is still in danger of missing the C-USA Championships, should it lose to UAB (4-6-6, 2-4-3) and the other league scores in the regular season's final weekend not align in their favor. However, the Blue Raiders can also still finish as high as fifth in the standings, and a win would guarantee them a spot in the tournament.
Having DePriest on their side should make the Blue Raiders plenty confident. Big-time players seem to make big-time plays when the pressure is at its highest, and the goal-scoring machine has proven in three years she's a big-time player.
"Getting to the tournament and through the first game are really big goals for us," she said. "We are a good team and we can perform really well … and our seniors have put in the work for so long, they deserve to end on the best note possible. That's really important for me."
Seven to be honored on senior night
Friday's match will also serve as Middle Tennessee's senior night. Seven girls will be honored in post game festivities: Sydney Chalcraft, Taylor Hatch, Casey Riemer, Harriet Jones, Claire Ramet, Amber Hoot and Savannah Stair.
The group has experienced quite the bounce back in its four years. After winning just four matches in their freshman season, the seniors have responded by making the C-USA Championships two years in a row, and are in a good spot to do so again this season.
"It's always an emotional night," Rhoden said. "This senior group has gone through a lot … and to see their growth says a lot about the work they've put in and the culture they've helped to change in our program. All of them are going to be missed, and all of them had made solid contributions in their own way."
"I just hope for their last home game that it will be a special game and a special night for them."
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