CHARLESTON, Ill. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Soccer recorded its second road result of the week on Thursday afternoon with a 1-1 draw at Eastern Illinois University, extending the team’s unbeaten streak to nine matches.
USI Women’s Soccer (5-5-4, 2-0-3 OVC) and Eastern Illinois (7-4-3, 4-0-1 OVC) each gained a point and remained unbeaten in Ohio Valley Conference play with Thursday’s tie. USI is up to nine points in conference play, while EIU sits at the top of the standings with 13 points.
The Screaming Eagles totaled eight shots with a pair on goal. Senior forward Peyton Murphy scored her third goal of the season in the second half off an assist by senior forward Emerson Grafton. Murphy had a team-high three shots in the match. Murphy is the fourth Screaming Eagle to score three times this season, and the goal on Thursday placed Murphy inside the top 15 in USI history with 35 career points.
Thursday’s first half was a balanced contest with the game settling into a battle for possession. The two teams combined for only five first-half shots. Murphy and senior midfielder Emma Thurston accounted for two USI shots in the opening 45 minutes. USI redshirt junior goalkeeper Anna Markland saved one shot by the Panthers in the middle of the half. The game went into the break scoreless.
Shortly after halftime, Eastern Illinois struck first with a goal nearly five minutes into the second half. The Panthers scored off a post rebound following a corner kick.
The Screaming Eagles responded nearly six minutes later in the 56th minute with the goal by Murphy. The goal came off a long midfield free kick by freshman defender Tierney Mullady that landed in the box. Off a defensive deflection, the ball was flicked over by Grafton to Murphy on the wing and near the end line. Murphy put the ball across the face of the goal and into the far-post side netting from the tough side angle.
The game remained knotted at one despite USI generating more quality looks in the second half. Then, Markland came up with another crucial save in the 69th minute to keep the match tied. Neither side produced a shot in the final 10 minutes.
