EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Indiana State struck early on a penalty kick in the 14th minute to take a lead they would never relinquish, downing Evansville by a score of 2-0 on Sunday evening at Arad McCutchan Stadium.
The match was action-packed early, with the Aces and Sycamores combining for six shots in the first 10 and half minutes of play. Isa Valdez (Phoenix, Ariz./Desert Vista) put the first shot on goal for Evansville in the eighth minute, while Emma Nathans (Toronto, Ontario/Havergal College) made the night’s first save in the fourth minute.
However, the Sycamores got on the board first, converting on a penalty kick in the 14th minute to take the lead.
Ella McAndrew (Greendale, Ind./Lawrenceburg) tested the Indiana State keeper in the 39th minute, but her shot was saved and the match remained 1-0 heading into halftime.
In the second half, Allie Lammers (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame) came on in goal for the Aces and made a terrific save in the 47th minute, getting a foot on a Indiana State shot to parry an attack. Following shots on goal by Brielle LaBerge (Cumming, Ga./Forsyth Central) and Taylor Wehrer (Las Vegas, Nev./Desert Oasis), Lammers made another save in the 67th minute. However, Indiana State struck again in the 69th minute to double the lead.
Evansville pushed on the attack for the night’s final 20 minutes, putting up five shots. Perhaps the best scoring chance came in the 82nd minute, but Ella Hamner (Evansville, Ind./Memorial) had her shot saved, and the Aces were shut out for only the third time this season.
“The effort is there, we are just making mistakes we were not making earlier in the season,” said Head Coach Chris Pfau. “I think if we get back together, refresh, and take some time off, I think we are in a good place.”
“We have proved we can win, and we knew we were not going to go undefeated, it’s just a little bit of a hurdle that we have to go through.”
Evansville’s 13 shots are tied for the team’s second-most in a game this season. Hamner led the team with four, putting two on target, while LaBerge added three shots. Lammers notched a new career-high by making six saves.
With the loss, Evansville moves to 5-4-1 overall and 1-2 in MVC play. The Aces will be back in action next Saturday, traveling to Normal, Ill. to take on Illinois State. Kick-off is set for 1 PM.
