EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Soccer seized its first victory of the 2025 season Sunday afternoon when the Screaming Eagles defeated Southern Illinois University, 2-0, at Strassweg Field.
 
USI (1-5-0) posted its first shutout of the season and handed Southern Illinois (4-1-0) its first loss of the year. Before USI scored its pair of goals on Sunday, the Salukis had outscored their opponents 13-1 in the previous four matches.
 
On Sunday, the Screaming Eagles fired away 11 shots with five taken on goal. Freshmen midfielders Paulina Campos and Haley Kocher each scored their first career goals in the winning effort. USI freshmen have scored half of USI’s six goals on the season. Senior forward Emerson Grafton topped the squad with three shots against the Salukis, while redshirt sophomore forward Eva Boer notched two shot attempts.
 
Redshirt junior goalkeeper Anna Markland picked up her first clean sheet of the season behind an overall solid defensive effort, as Southern Illinois had zero shots on goal in 10 shot attempts.
 
It did not take long on Sunday for the Screaming Eagles to make some noise. USI jumped on the scoreboard in the fourth minute when Campos cleaned up a scramble in the box off a corner kick to give the Eagles an early 1-0 advantage. The energetic start continued with two more shots by USI within two minutes of scoring the opening goal.
 
Shortly after the 15-minute mark of the first half, the Salukis found some footing with one shot ricocheting off the crossbar and another blocked by the Eagles’ defense. However, the game turned into a defensive deadlock for the remainder of the opening 45 minutes, as USI went into halftime still ahead, 1-0.
 
USI came back out of halftime with the same energy it had earlier in the contest, launching four shots in the first 10 minutes of the second half. The USI midfield had a strong run in the middle of the second half, pressuring the ball and keeping possession in the attacking half of the field.
 
The Screaming Eagles’ defense continued to frustrate the Salukis, but Southern Illinois did not go down without a fight. The Salukis had a few shot attempts in the final 25 minutes, including one that grazed off the side post.
 
Down the stretch, USI had a couple of chances for an insurance goal halted by the Salukis. However, inside the final minute, the Screaming Eagles would not be denied. Following a defensive clearance off a set piece, the ball landed at Kocher’s feet, and the freshman took off on a breakaway down the field and slotted the ball past the goalkeeper to seal the 2-0 triumph for USI.
 
The Screaming Eagles will conclude their homestand on Thursday when USI hosts Valparaiso University at 7 p.m. from Strassweg Field. Admission to Thursday’s match is free courtesy of ProRehab. The match can also be seen with a subscription to ESPN+.

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Coming off their first win over a Power-4 opponent since 2008 on Thursday night, the University of Evansvile women’s soccer team aims to continue their strong start to the season when they host SIUE on Sunday afternoon at Arad McCutchan Stadium. Sunday’s match is part of a special weekend for the Aces’ soccer programs, with both the men’s and women’s teams hosting Alumni Weekend and celebrating the legacy of former All-American Ace and first Evansville women’s soccer coach, Mick Lyon, who passed away in January 2025 at the age of 61 following a long and courageous battle with multiple sclerosis. His story is one of fearless vision, deep community roots, and enduring impact, both on and off the field.

Originally from Lincolnshire, England, Lyon arrived at the University of Evansville in the mid-1980s on a soccer scholarship, joining the team in time to help lead a historic run to the NCAA Final Four in 1985. He was the first-ever three-time team MVP in program history and helped lead UE to a national No. 1 ranking and an NCAA Final Four appearance in 1985. Lyon graduated with a degree in physical education in 1989 and soon returned to his alma mater to coach.

In 1993, Lyon made history as the first head coach of UE women’s soccer, launching a program that would dominate the Missouri Valley Conference for the better part of a decade. Under his leadership, the Lady Aces claimed nine conference titles and three NCAA Tournament berths. Lyon was named MVC Coach of the Year three times and earned a place in the UE Athletics Hall of Fame, the MVC Hall of Fame, and the Indiana Soccer Hall of Fame.

Last Time Out
Evansville knocked off Purdue for the first time in program history on Thursday, defeating the Boilermakers by a score of 2-1 at Arad McCutchan Stadium.

Trailing 1-0 going into halftime, Ella Hamner (Evansville, Ind./Memorial) and Taylor Wehrer (Las Vegas, Nev./Desert Oasis) scored goals within a minute and a half of play in the second half to give the Aces a lead they would never relinquish.

Looking to open their home slate in grand fashion, Evansville flipped a switch following the halftime break. In the 55^th minute, Taylor Johnson (Evansville, Ind./Reitz) used her speed to create a scoring chance. Following a deflected cross from Johnson, Chrysta Vasquez (Las Vegas, Nev./Coronado) collected the ball off the right side of the goal and passed it back to Johnson, who found Hamner wide open in the middle of the box. From there, the junior buried a laser of a shot into the bottom right corner to equalize.

Less than two minutes later, the Aces threatened again, as Johnson drew a yellow card 10 yards outside the box to earn a free kick. Wehrer stepped up for the kick from 28 yards out and drilled a shot off the top post, which found the back of the goal for a bar down goal, giving the Aces a 2-1 lead.

From there, the Evansville defense was able to hold strong, withstanding a wave of Purdue attacks to secure the win.

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville men’s soccer team returns home on Sunday, hosting Memphis at Arad McCutchan Stadium in a key non-conference matchup. Sunday night’s match concludes a special weekend for the Aces’ soccer programs, with both the men’s and women’s teams hosting Alumni Weekend and celebrating the legacy of former All-American Ace and first Evansville women’s soccer coach, Mick Lyon, who passed away in January 2025 at the age of 61 following a long and courageous battle with multiple sclerosis. His story is one of fearless vision, deep community roots, and enduring impact, both on and off the field.

Originally from Lincolnshire, England, Lyon arrived at the University of Evansville in the mid-1980s on a soccer scholarship, joining the team in time to help lead a historic run to the NCAA Final Four in 1985. He was the first-ever three-time team MVP in program history and helped lead UE to a national No. 1 ranking and an NCAA Final Four appearance in 1985. Lyon graduated with a degree in physical education in 1989 and soon returned to his alma mater to coach.

In 1993, Lyon made history as the first head coach of UE women’s soccer, launching a program that would dominate the Missouri Valley Conference for the better part of a decade. Under his leadership, the Lady Aces claimed nine conference titles and three NCAA Tournament berths. Lyon was named MVC Coach of the Year three times and earned a place in the UE Athletics Hall of Fame, the MVC Hall of Fame, and the Indiana Soccer Hall of Fame.

Last Time Out
Evansville suffered their first defeat of the season on Thursday, battling 15th-ranked North Carolina but coming up short by a score of 2-0.

The two sides went back-and-forth throughout the first 45 minutes, but neither team was able to break through before the half. Armon Haghighat (Irvine, Calif./Irvine Valley CC) had the best scoring chance for Evansville, putting a shot on target off his left foot, but a great save by the UNC keeper kept his clean sheet intact.

The score remained even through the first 25 minutes of the second half, with Evansville taking one shot and North Carolina taking two. However, the Tar Heels were able to put the first goal of the game on the board in the 70^th minute before scoring again in the 75^th minute to pull away for a 2-0 win.