JONESBORO, Ark. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Soccer opened its 2024 season by falling 3-0 on the road to Arkansas State University on Sunday afternoon.
USI got some offensive momentum out of the gate by putting together three possessions ending in shots on goal in the first twenty minutes. The best scoring chance early came off the leg of senior midfielder Maggie Duggan (Defiance, Missouri) from outside the box that forced Arkansas State’s goalkeeper to make a save to her left.
The Screaming Eagles were solid on defense in the opening minutes, holding the Red Wolves scoreless through the first 20-plus minutes of the game. Then the Red Wolves put one in the back of the net to go up 1-0 in the 25th minute after a free kick led to a secondary chance and a header in.
From there, Arkansas State built on its momentum in the attacking half. A strike from outside the box that found the top corner of the goal doubled the Red Wolves’ advantage, 2-0, before closing out the rest of the first half.
Southern Indiana began the second stanza with good urgency, possessing the ball in the offensive midfield and hindering Arkansas State from transition opportunities in the early minutes of the second half. USI sophomore midfielder Pilar Torres (Chula Vista, California) had one of the Eagles’ best chances out of the intermission with a shot that deflected off a defender and barely missed the bottom corner of the goal in the 51st minute.
Arkansas State went on to add a third goal in the 61st minute from the penalty spot that just snuck past the outstretched glove of USI redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Anna Markland (Hoover, Alabama).
Markland finished with six saves in the match, including a diving save on a close-range shot in the 74th minute.
Despite USI generating a similar number of second-half shot chances to Arkansas State, the Screaming Eagles ran out of time. Southern Indiana produced seven shots in the second half compared to four in the first half of play.
Southern Indiana totaled 11 shots with four on goal Sunday afternoon. Torres had a team-high three shots for the Eagles. Arkansas State placed nine of 18 shot attempts on target.
USI continues its non-conference schedule on Thursday at 7 p.m. when the Screaming Eagles make their home debut from Strassweg Field against Robert Morris University. Coverage links for Thursday’s match can be found at usiscreamingeagles.com.
