EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Soccer fought through adversity late in Sunday’s match at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville before scoring an equalizer with a couple of minutes remaining to earn a 1-1 draw and an Ohio Valley Conference point on the road.
Southern Indiana (4-8-5, 3-2-3 OVC) once again found itself in a competitive, defensive battle against SIUE (2-7-6, 1-3-4) on Sunday. The two sides had played to scoreless draws in the previous two meetings in the last two seasons.
USI had an early look at goal with a free kick in the sixth minute, but SIUE’s goalkeeper saved the ensuing kick by junior defender Brynn Quick. USI redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Anna Markland also collected a pair of saves in the first 20 minutes. However, SIUE scored in the 24th minute off a corner kick to take a 1-0 advantage. It was the first goal scored in the head-to-head series since 2007.
USI and SIUE exchanged possession down the stretch of the opening 45 minutes, but the score remained 1-0 SIUE into halftime.
In the second half, the Screaming Eagles continued to make trips into the attacking third, but optimal shot attempts toward goal came at a premium against a tough defensive unit from SIUE. USI’s defense was also strong, clearing multiple corner kicks and keeping the Cougars out of the net.
Southern Indiana ran into some adversity near the 73rd minute when a double-yellow red card dropped USI down to 10 players on the field. Despite trailing 1-0 and down a player in the contest, the Eagles continued to fight into the final minutes.
After thwarting a couple of SIUE attacks late, USI mustered a late push of its own. Seconds after a saved shot on goal by junior midfielder Peyton Murphy, Southern Indiana scored a short-handed equalizer to tie the match, 1-1, in the 88th minute. A long cross from near the sideline by junior midfielder Emerson Grafton was missed by SIUE’s defense and goalkeeper, allowing sophomore defender Kamryn Bea to step up and put away the loose ball for the game-tying goal and her first career goal. The assist by Grafton tied a team-best five helpers on the season.
The Eagles’ defense halted two more attacks from the Cougars in the final two minutes to close out the draw.
For the game, Southern Indiana totaled six shots with three on goal. Markland finished with six saves in net. SIUE took 16 shots and seven on target Sunday.
Following a pair of wins earlier this past week and Sunday’s tie, USI had already locked up its third consecutive berth in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament. With one regular-season match to go and through Sunday’s results, USI sits fifth in the conference standings with 12 points. Southern Indiana could potentially finish as high as third.
The Screaming Eagles conclude the regular season at Strassweg Field next Sunday at 1 p.m. for Senior Day against Western Illinois University. Match coverage links can be found at usiscreamingeagles.com.
