JACKSONVILLE – For the second time in consecutive seasons, the Jacksonville State soccer team has handed Ohio Valley Conference front runner Murray State a setback with Friday's 2-1 win at the JSU Soccer Field.

The Gamecocks have put together back-to-back conference wins with Tuesday's 4-0 blanking at Eastern Kentucky along with Friday's result. Jax State moved to 2-3 on the season, while the Racers suffered their first loss of the season (5-1). The Gamecocks will look to make it three in a row next Tuesday with a trip to Martin, Tennessee against the Skyhawks of UT Martin. In 2019, JSU knocked MSU out of the top spot in the standings late in the year.

JSU wasted little time putting the pressure on the Racers with a goal in the early stages of the contest. Redshirt freshman Ida Cederberg drilled her first shot of the day past the Racers' goalkeeper after sophomore Gabriel Clarke dished out an assist on the scoring play. Clarke has posted a solid week with two goals scored against EKU and an assist on Friday.

"She is a brilliant player and reads pressure really well. She can solve it through dribbling and passing. She gets creative offensively and defensively, she gets back in position. Her first step is just electric," said head coach Neil Macdonald.

Jax state would take that one-goal advantage into the intermission break but had seven chances in the first 45 minutes to extend the lead.

"I thought we were excellent in the first 45 minutes; we moved the ball around really well and controlled the flow of the game. When things got difficult, they stepped up physically and mentally," continued Macdonald.

The lone mishap for the Gamecocks came in the 51st minute as the Racers equalized on Chloe Barnthouse's third goal of the season.

Sophomore Cynthia Bagozzi turned in the game winner just over nine minutes later. Bagozzi, who finished with three shots in the contests, scored on a deflected ball off a Racer and into the back of the net. Senior Alicia Pallister was credited with the assist on the final goal.

The Gamecocks will continue to be one of the OVC leaders in shots taken with 16 on the day, nine on-goal chances. The Racers finished with 12 as both clubs had nine each in the final 45 minutes.

Redshirt junior Morgan Lerch turned in her second consecutive solid putting in goal with four saves.

"We have said all along that our performances have been fantastic and now we are starting to see the belief in the girls," added Macdonald. "we have 12 new faces and 11 of them are freshmen and that is what is exciting, not only do we know that we have a quality team, but we know that we have a future as well and that is exciting."

JSU played five freshmen in the contest, led by Kylie Wells. Wells turned in a match-high four shots and leads the club in shots on the season.

JSU's match with UTM on Tuesday, March 23 will start at 5 p.m. and will be available on ESPN+.