The University of Southern Indiana women’s soccer team got back on track with a dominating 8-0 victory over Oakland City University Tuesday evening at Strassweg Field. USI goes to 5-4-2 overall, while Oakland City falls to 3-5-0 in 2018.
The Screaming Eagles got the offense started early when freshman midfielder Rachel Gray (Franklin, Tennessee) scored at 7:08 to put USI up 1-0. Gray posted her second goal of the season off an assist by freshman forward Katlyn Andres (Louisville, Kentucky).
USI increased the lead to 2-0 when junior defender Loryn Willis (Cynthiana, Indiana) recorded her first goal of the season at 10:53. Willis found the back of the net off an assist by sophomore forward Maggie Winter (St. Louis, Missouri).
Winter finished the first half scoring for the Eagles when she picked up her second goal of the season at 15:56. She slid the ball into the goal with the help of sophomore forward Taylor McCormick (Rapid City, South Dakota). USI would hold the 3-0 lead through the intermission.
In the second half, the Eagles quickly increased the lead to 4-0 when Winter defected a shot by McCormick in for her second tally of the match at 51:56. Gray made the score 5-0 five minutes later when she intercepted an Oakland City attempt to clear the ball, rocketing the ball into the top right corner at 56:08.
Winter would add her third of the match and fourth of the season at 63:26 when she partnered with Gray to make the score 6-0. USI junior forward Emilie Blomenkamp (Smithton, Illinois) and freshman midfielder Kelsey Kandil (Richmond, Kentucky) finished the goal production for USI with tallies at 65:31 and 74:57, respectively, for the 8-0 final.
Blomenkamp was assisted on her third goal of the year by sophomore midfielder Sunny Lehman(Evansville, Indiana), while Kandil posted her first goal as an Eagle off a corner kick by junior midfielder Caroline Canoy (St. Peters, Missouri).
Between the posts, USI sophomore goalkeeper Skylar Brant (Plymouth, Michigan) posted a win and a shutout in her first collegiate start. The USI defense helped out Brant by not allowing a shot in the 90 minutes.
The Eagles (3-2-1 GLVC) return to the road and the Great Lakes Valley Conference schedule Friday when they visit Quincy University for a 5 p.m. match-up. Quincy went to 5-4-1 overall and 3-2-1 in the league after falling on the road to Bellarmine University, 2-1, and tying the University of Indianapolis, 0-0 in double overtime, last weekend
Quincy leads USI all-time, 15-6-1, since the series began in 1997. The Hawks also have the advantage in the last five match-ups, winning all five. USI hopes to snap a winless streak versus Hawks that dates back to 2011 when the Eagles won in overtime, 1-0, at Strassweg Field.
