EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Soccer received three postseason honors from the Ohio Valley Conference Monday. The league’s head coaches and communication directors voted upon the postseason accolades.
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It was announced that senior goalkeeper Maya Etienne (Midland, Michigan), graduate defender Elizabeth Lippert (Lexington, Kentucky), and freshman midfielder Peyton Murphy (Bargersville, Indiana) were recognized by the conference for their performances in 2022.
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Between the posts, Etienne garnered All-OVC Second Team honors following a strong senior campaign for the Screaming Eagles. In 17 starts, Etienne posted seven shutouts and 73 saves, and 0.77 goals against average. She also had a .849 save percentage. In conference play alone, Etienne had the second-most saves in the OVC with 40 in conference matches. The Midland, Michigan native tallied a season-high 12 saves in the penultimate match of the regular season at Southeast Missouri State University, three off her career-high from 2019. Etienne was named OVC Goalkeeper of the Week twice during the 2022 season.
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The senior also climbed the USI record books in 2022. Etienne moved to third all-time for career saves with 308, while becoming second all-time in goals against average at 0.76. Meanwhile, Etienne also increased her career shutouts record to 36 clean sheets.
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Patrolling the defensive line, Lippert also earned All-OVC Second Team accolades, leading one of the best defensive units in USI Women’s Soccer history. The fifth-year senior helped USI to seven shutouts in 2022. Lippert and the USI defense had only 14 goals scored upon them this season, among the best goals allowed totals in program history. Plus, it cannot be forgotten that the Lexington, Kentucky native and the Screaming Eagles’ defense registered lockdown numbers in the program’s first year as an NCAA Division I program. Lippert started every match in 2022 for Southern Indiana. Getting involved in USI’s attack, Lippert also recorded one assist on the game-winning goal in the regular season finale against Eastern Illinois University, helping clinch USI’s postseason berth in their first season in the Ohio Valley Conference.
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In her freshman season with the Screaming Eagles, Murphy received All-Newcomer laurels from the OVC. Murphy started her USI career on quite a high note, leading the Screaming Eagles with five goals, 12 points, 25 shots, and 16 shots on goal. The midfielder also collected two assists and started all 17 matches. Murphy was named OVC Offensive Player of the Week early in the season after recording her first career hat trick against Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology on August 25. Besides being responsible for USI’s first Division-I hat trick, Murphy also scored the first goal of the Division-I era for USI Women’s Soccer, finding the back of the net for her first career goal against Winona State University on August 20. Other notable marks from Murphy’s freshman season include a streak of six straight matches at one point with a shot on goal and proving to be one of the most accurate shot-takers in the nation with a .640 shot accuracy.
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USI just concluded its 2022 season with an appearance in the Ohio Valley Conference Soccer Championship Tournament. Following a historic first season as a member of the OVC and as an NCAA Divisio
