ST. CHARLES, Mo. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Soccer traveled to Lindenwood University Sunday afternoon, coming away with a 1-1 draw and a point in the Ohio Valley Conference standings against the familiar Lions.
The Screaming Eagles (4-5-4, 0-3-2 OVC) came out of the gates with a flying start. Freshman defender Charli Grafton (Sunriver, Oregon) scored for USI in the third minute, striking one into the top half of the goal. For Grafton, the score was her first career goal in a Screaming Eagles uniform. Senior midfielder Jill DiTusa (St. Charles, Illinois) and sophomore midfielder Adriana Berruti (Berwyn, Illinois) were credited with the assists. Grafton’s goal was the earliest one scored in a match this season for USI.
Lindenwood (5-6-4, 2-1-3 OVC) quickly tried to respond, taking two shots before the 10-minute mark. USI’s senior goalkeeper Maya Etienne (Midland, Michigan) saved both attempts, including one by Lindenwood’s graduate student Jacqueline Baetz. Baetz entered the match as the Lions’ leading shot-taker and scored the game-winner in their last match against the University of Tennessee at Martin on Thursday.
Junior midfielder Morgan Beyer (Rossford, Ohio) took a chance and struck the post in the 23rd minute. She has now recorded a shot in each of the last six contests. USI had two other shots that were saved by Lindenwood’s senior goalkeeper Sam Blazek in the first half.
At the beginning of the second half and before the 55th minute, the Lions tested USI’s defense with two low shot attempts on goal, but Etienne came through two more saves to preserve the Screaming Eagles’ 1-0 lead. USI went back down the other direction of the field for two shots of their own that missed wide.
The middle portion of the second half was a back-and-forth battle. In the 66th minute, freshman forward Shy Iles (Demossville, Kentucky) tallied the first shot and attempt on goal of her USI career, but it was saved by Blazek. After four early-season appearances for Iles, she made her second straight appearance in a match.
Lindenwood found the 1-1 equalizer in the 73rd minute, as junior forward and former Screaming Eagle Peyton Ganz scored her first goal of the season. Neither side could pick up a go-ahead goal before the final whistle.
Besides the 1-1 score, both teams had two assists and eight shots on the day. Lindenwood placed six shots on goal and USI had four. The Lions also earned six corner kicks to USI’s two.
DiTusa and freshman midfielder Peyton Murphy (Bargersville, Indiana) led USI with two shots in the match, including one on goal for each. Grafton was 1 for 1 with her early goal. Between the posts, Etienne finished the match with five saves, bringing the senior within six saves of third all-time in USI history.
USI Women’s Soccer returns to action in a week, facing off against UT Martin next Sunday from Strassweg Field in an Ohio Valley Conference matchup. Kickoff will be at 1 p.m. and can be seen live with an ESPN+ subscription. Admission is free thanks to The Women’s Hospital Deaconess.
