Despite scoring a pair of unanswered goals, University of Southern Indiana Men’s Soccer could not dig out of an early hole as William Jewell College handed the Screaming Eagles a 3-2 Great Lakes Valley Conference setback Friday night.
The host Cardinals (2-4-1, 2-4-1 GLVC) scored goals in the fourth, 20th and 26th minutes of the game to build a commanding 3-0 advantage before USI could get its first shot off.
USI (3-3-0, 3-3-0 GLVC), which saw a three-game winning streak come to an end with the loss, got on the scoreboard in the 29th minute when freshman defender Sam Benoist (Foristell, Missouri) found the back of the net for the first time in his collegiate career. Sophomore midfielder Marky Lara (Evansville, Indiana) was credited with his first career assist on the play and the first of two assists on the night.
After trailing, 3-1, at the intermission, the Eagles kept the pressure on Jewell’s defenders as they fired off eight shots in the first 30 minutes of the second half before junior defender Josef Winkler (Philpot, Kentucky) found paydirt for the first time in his collegiate career.
Winker’s goal in the 75th minute came off a deflected shot by Lara, who earned his second assist on the night for the effort; and cut the Eagles’ deficit to just one score.
Despite getting a pair of corner kick opportunities in the final 15 minutes, USI was only able to get one shot off as Jewell held on for the one-goal victory.
USI outshot the Cardinals, 15-4, on the night and had eight shots on goal to go along with a 4-1 edge in penalty kicks.
The Eagles return to action Sunday when they travel to Kansas City, Missouri, to take on Rockhurst University in a GLVC match. USI is 2-21-4 all-time against Rockhurst and are looking for their first road win over the Hawks in 16 trips (0-14-1) to Kansas City. The Hawks are 1-4-2 overall and 1-4-2 in GLVC play after battling McKendree to a s
