EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Soccer produced 21 shots in Sunday’s home opener against Cleveland State University at Strassweg Field, but the Screaming Eagles could not find a breakthrough as the Vikings grabbed a 2-0 result.
USI more than tripled the number of attempts from their season-opening match last Thursday. Plus, the 21 shots matched last year’s season-high when the Screaming Eagles generated 21 shots in the 2024 regular-season finale against Western Illinois University.
On Sunday, six different Screaming Eagles recorded multiple shot attempts. Graduate midfielder Maggie Duggan and senior forward Emerson Grafton each tallied a team-best five shots. Duggan, senior forward Peyton Murphy, and sophomore forward Josie Pochocki each had two shots on goal against the Vikings. Overall, USI had nine shots on goal in the contest.
Cleveland State had seven shots with three on goal. Junior forward Elise Boyd and redshirt junior midfielder Sophia Cucchetti were the goal scorers for the Vikings.
Southern Indiana notched three shots in the first 15 minutes of action, two of which were saved by Cleveland State’s redshirt junior goalkeeper Hayleigh Lewis. It was in the 16th minute that Cleveland State scored the first goal of the game from Boyd.
USI kept the gas down and went back with four more shots over the following five minutes, including a shot off the post by Grafton. As the Eagles kept control of possession in the offensive half, tough luck continued to plague USI on the finishing end of the field. Cleveland State wound up scoring its second goal on another counterattack in the 30th minute to take a 2-0 lead, which held into halftime.
Southern Indiana came out of halftime still firing toward the net, including two by Grafton and another shot that the Vikings’ Lewis saved. Later in the second half, junior forward Grace Bamber, who had two shots in the game, provided a burst as a substitute with another good look for the Eagles. However, Lewis continued to stand tall for Cleveland State and keep USI off the scoreboard.
As the physicality and intensity ramped up down the stretch, USI placed a few more shots on target in the final minutes. However, Cleveland State held firm on the heels of nine saves by Lewis in goal.
Next, Southern Indiana will head back on the road for two consecutive games. First, the Screaming Eagles travel to Robert Morris University for a 3 p.m. CT contest on Thursday. USI tied Robert Morris 2-2 at home last season. Then, USI will make a stop at the University of Akron next Sunday for a Noon CT kickoff in the first meeting against the Zips. Both road games can be seen with a subscription to ESPN+.
