USI’s Late Rally Fall Short

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EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Soccer tried to rally from a two-goal deficit, but fell short, 2-1, in a loss to 22nd-ranked McKendree University Sunday afternoon at Strassweg Field. The Screaming Eagles go to 2-1-1 overall and 0-1-0 GLVC, while the Bearcats are 3-0-1, 1-0-0 GLVC, in 2021.

The first half saw McKendree build momentum toward a 1-0 lead at the intermission when it scored at the 33:53 mark. The Bearcats would hold the single-goal advantage through halftime and until 68:38 of the second half when they increased the margin to 2-0.

USI began to pressure the McKendree defense and narrowed the 2-0 deficit to 2-1 when the freshman midfielder Avery Schone and freshman forward Alexis Schone combined to convert an indirect kick in front of the McKendree goal at 85:29. The Eagles were issued the indirect kick after McKendree goalkeeper Abby Tucker illegally scooped up the ball after a defender kicked it back to her. The goal was Avery Schone’s first of the season.

The Eagles also missed a golden opportunity to score 10 minutes earlier when the Bearcat defense cleared the ball off the goal line after Tucker collided with a USI player and the ball rolled toward the empty goal with 17:46 remaining.

Between the posts, USI sophomore goalkeeper Maya Etienne faced eight shots and made six saves in the loss.

UPCOMING FOR THE EAGLES:

USI returns to the road next week to continue GLVC action by visiting the University of Indianapolis Friday at 3 p.m. (CDT) in Indianapolis. The 12th-ranked Greyhounds, who are predicted to win the GLVC this fall, are 2-1-0 overall and 0-1-0 in the league after being upset by the University of Missouri-St. Louis, 2-1, today.

USI leads the all-time series with UIndy, 15-12-1, after a split of two matches last spring. The Greyhounds took the regular season meeting, 2-1, while USI took the GLVC Tournament semifinal match, 1-0, in overtime.