LYNCHBURG, Tenn. — The Motlow Bucks continued their march to the TCCAA women’s soccer regular season title and the #1 seed in the upcoming conference tournament with a convincing 8-1 win over Dyersburg State at Motlow’s home field Sunday.

Motlow (10-1-2) is ranked among the top 25 teams in the nation. The Bucks will play their next two matches on the road, beginning with a trip to Knoxville to face Pellissippi State this Thursday. It is the final conference game of the season. Saturday, Motlow will play at Georgia Military College in Milledgeville.

The regular season ends with Motlow at home, hosting Polk State College, which is also ranked among the top 25 teams nationally. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 20.

Motlow 8 Dyersburg 1

The Bucks wasted no time Sunday against the Eagles, with Grace Murray taking a pass from Alysa Benton and scoring just 45 seconds into the match. Benton, Motlow’s leading returning scorer from last season, scored her first goal at 8:29 on an assist from Libby Vincent.

Motlow increased the lead to 3-0 at 25:22, with Kaite Jones scoring on an assist from Benton. The visitors managed a goal at the 32:36 mark, and the half ended with the Bucks leading 3-1.

Camden Prosser got on the scoreboard at 62:43 after a sparkling assist from Kinley Buena. A minute later, Benton scored her second goal with the assist from Prosser. The Bucks weren’t finished, though. In the final 10 minutes, Jones scored on an assist from Ellie Kirk, Kirk scored on an assist from Alba Embid, and Embid scored on an assist from Diana Ramirez.

The Bucks dominated the statistics, outshooting the Eagles 36-2. Alina Arneth played the first 45 minutes at goalkeeper, allowing the one goal. Lucy Riddle had one save in her 30 minutes, and Leigha Resendiz played the final 15 minutes.

Prosser and Benton each had four shots on goal, with Jones and Vincent adding three each. The Bucks had 22 shots on goal as a team.

The Playoff Picture

The TCCAA/Region VII Tournament will open on Oct. 23, with the higher seed hosting on its home pitch. #1 Motlow will host #4 Dyersburg and #2 Columbia will host #3 Southwest Tennessee. Pellissippi State is not eligible for postseason competition as it is in its first year as a women’s soccer program.

Round two is Oct. 26, with the highest remaining seed hosting. That means Motlow will host any games it plays in the conference tournament.

The TCCAA/Region 7 Tournament winner will advance to the NJCAA Central District Tournament. Region 7 was part of the Southeast District in previous years, but the NJCAA changed that during the offseason.

As part of the Central District, the Region 7 winner will compete with teams from Region 11, 16, and 24. Region 11 includes Iowa Western and Indian Hills, Motlow’s first two opponents this season. Iowa Western has been ranked #1 in the nation all season. Region 16 only has Crowder College from Missouri, and Region 24 has four Illinois colleges, including Wabash Valley, which Motlow beat this season. Regions 11, 16, and 24 will play a tournament to determine a champion. That champion will host the Region 7 winner for a berth in the NJCAA Women’s Soccer National Championship. Motlow has advanced to the national tournament the previous two seasons.

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