CHARLESTON, Ill. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Soccer made program history on Thursday afternoon by earning its first-ever Ohio Valley Conference Tournament win with a 2-0 first-round triumph over Southeast Missouri State University.
The fifth-seeded Screaming Eagles (8-7-4, 4-2-3 OVC) are making their fourth consecutive OVC Tournament appearance but were still searching for the first postseason win of the D-I era entering Thursday’s contest. The first-round clash against the eighth-seeded Redhawks (2-15-2, 2-5-2 OVC) was a rematch from USI’s Senior Day game back on September 28, which USI won 2-1.
After a 0-0 match past the 75-minute mark, the Screaming Eagles struck twice inside the final 15 minutes. Senior defender Charli Grafton scored the first and, ultimately, the game-winning goal in the 79th minute. Sophomore defender Emma Schut netted the Eagles’ second goal with under six minutes left to play.
Despite a scoreless first half on Thursday, the game ultimately became a tale of two halves, statistically. After SEMO had the shooting advantage, 7-2, at halftime, USI controlled the shooting numbers in the second stanza, 11-4. Overall, USI outshot Southeast Missouri, 13-11, including a 7-5 advantage in shots on goal. Schut led USI with three shots. Redshirt sophomore forward Eva Boer, sophomore forward Josie Pochocki, and redshirt junior forward Emma Thurston each had two shots.
In net, redshirt junior goalkeeper Anna Markland, who missed USI’s regular-season finale at Western Illinois University due to injury, returned to action Thursday with a strong presence. Markland collected five saves, including a crucial penalty-kick save in the second half. Thursday was Markland’s seventh clean sheet and the team’s eighth shutout of the season.
Neither side could find a lot of quality opportunities in the first half, as both defenses were strong. Pochocki registered the only shot on goal in the opening 45 minutes for USI, charging forward in a one-on-one situation that was saved by SEMO’s goalkeeper. Markland made a pair of saves later in the first half, as the game went into halftime deadlocked.
In the second half, a few minutes passed before the momentum swayed heavily in USI’s favor. Around the 60-minute mark of the second half, Boer had a couple of shooting chances within a minute of action. However, just a few minutes later, Southeast Missouri was awarded a penalty kick, looking to claim the lead from the spot. That is when Markland delivered and denied the penalty shot with a diving save to swing the energy and momentum heavily toward the Screaming Eagles.
In the minutes that followed Markland’s penalty save, USI put the pressure on in the attacking half and fired away a handful of shots. With under 12 minutes to play in regulation, the Eagles earned a corner kick. Thurston served the corner into the box, where a header by senior forward Peyton Murphy was directed and put away into the net by Grafton to give USI the 1-0 lead. The goal was Grafton’s first of the season, becoming the 13th different Screaming Eagle to net a goal this season.
Nearly six minutes later, USI was awarded a free kick from 30-plus yards out in the 85th minute. Schut booted a strong kick toward the right side of the goal. The ball found its way into the netting after a short-hop and misplay by the Redhawks’ goalkeeper. The late insurance goal by Schut sealed the historic team win for the Screaming Eagles.
With Thursday’s victory, USI Women’s Soccer advanced to Sunday’s quarterfinals, where the Screaming Eagles will take on the site host and No. 4 seed Eastern Illinois University (8-7-3, 5-3-1 OVC). The Panthers earned a first-round bye and the right to host as the fourth seed. Kickoff on Sunday from Lakeside Field in Charleston, Illinois, is set for 11:30 a.m. The winner will advance to next Thursday’s semifinal round and face top-seeded Tennessee Tech University, which gets to host the semifinals and championship rounds next week as the OVC’s regular season champions.
