Eagles kick off home slate with draw against Robert Morris
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Soccer recorded a 2-2 draw against Robert Morris University Thursday night to open the Screaming Eagles’ 2024 home slate at Strassweg Field.
Southern Indiana (0-1-1) started the match with an energetic burst, getting on the scoreboard in the seventh minute of the match. USI’s first goal of the 2024 regular season was scored off a header by redshirt freshman Eva Boer (St. Charles, Illinois) on a pair of connections from midfielder Pilar Torres (Chula Vista, California) and sophomore midfielder Kerigan Kivisto (Collierville, Tennessee) to give USI an early 1-0 advantage.
USI’s defense played a strong first half against an impressive offensive attack from Robert Morris (2-0-0). Redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Anna Markland (Hoover, Alabama) made a spectacular save on a one-on-one attempt against Robert Morris’ front line.
Southern Indiana continued to develop opportunities deep into Robert Morris’ defensive third. Junior defender Brynn Quick (Cottage Grove, Minnesota) had a scoring opportunity off a corner kick that was saved, but in the last 90 seconds of the first half, junior forward Payton Seymour (Louisville, Kentucky) doubled USI’s opening-half lead to 2-0 by finding the back of the net off an assist from junior midfielder Emerson Grafton (Camas, Washington) and freshman midfielder Josie Pochocki (LaGrange Park, Illinois). The Eagles’ 2-0 lead carried into halftime.
Out of the break, USI’s defense continued to withhold the pressure from the Colonials, including a quick save by Markland. On the flip side of the field, the Screaming Eagles’ continued their offensive pressure with three shots in the first 10 minutes of the second half, including a shot at the top of the box from Torres that flew slightly above the crossbar.
However, Robert Morris ramped up its attack and pushed numbers forward. The Colonials pulled within a goal, 2-1, in the 65th minute on a header by junior forward Paloma Swankler that bounced high and into the goal.
The Screaming Eagles created multiple attempts toward an insurance goal, featuring three shots in a two-minute span. Seymour nearly had her second goal of the evening with a header that grazed the outside part of the post and out.
The relentlessness of Robert Morris eventually led to the game-tying goal in the 84th minute on a lofted breakaway shot attempt by graduate senior forward Haleigh Finale. The 2-2 score held firm in the final minutes.
For the contest, Southern Indiana outshot Robert Morris, 19-15. The Screaming Eagles placed 10 chances on goal. Not only scoring a goal in the game, Seymour tallied a team-high four shots with two on frame. Kivisto had three shots to go along with an assist. Boer finished with two shots, including the game’s first goal. Between the posts, Markland totaled three saves.
Next up, the Screaming Eagles embark on a two-game road trip that begins Sunday at Noon (CT) against Eastern Kentucky University. Coverage links of the match can be found at usiscreamingeagles.com.
