COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Soccer dropped a 2-0 decision at Tennessee Tech University Thursday night, ending the Screaming Eagles’ 10-game unbeaten streak and undefeated run in Ohio Valley Conference play.
USI Women’s Soccer (6-6-4, 3-1-3 OVC) had gone without a setback since August 28 before Thursday’s game at Tennessee Tech (4-6-7, 4-0-3 OVC). Meanwhile, the Golden Eagles recorded their seventh consecutive result to move to within a point of first in the OVC. USI is four points back of first with two regular-season games left.
In Thursday’s match, the Screaming Eagles had six shots with a pair on goal. Redshirt junior midfielder Emma Thurston led USI with two shots, including one on goal. In goal, redshirt junior goalkeeper Anna Markland had her second-highest saves total of the season with six saves Thursday, facing 13 shots and eight on goal by Tennessee Tech.
The first 20 minutes of action on Thursday saw both teams look to settle in. Tennessee Tech had the only shot in the 20 minutes, which Markland saved. However, the Golden Eagles found the net to take a 1-0 lead with their second shot in the 22nd minute when a shot just went off the tips of Markland’s gloves and off the crossbar into the goal.
Tennessee Tech became more aggressive with its shooting chances as the first half wore on. Markland snagged a couple of more saves in the middle of the half. Nearly five minutes after Tennessee Tech’s goal, USI graduate midfielder Maggie Duggan had a threatening shot on goal from inside the box that was saved. Despite some attacking pressure by the Screaming Eagles later in the first half, Duggan’s shot wound up being USI’s only shooting attempt in the first 45 minutes, as USI trailed by one at the break.
In the second half, USI was awarded a free kick just past the 53-minute mark. Thurston took a shot looking for a tying goal that just missed above the crossbar and the top-left corner. Thurston had another attempt a few minutes later saved by Tennessee Tech’s goalkeeper.
USI had multiple shots blocked in the middle of the second half in search of an equalizer. While the Screaming Eagles kept pushing to find some momentum in the attacking half, Tennessee Tech’s defense maintained the one-goal lead into the late minutes. Then, with only a minute left, the Golden Eagles added an insurance goal off an initial save by Markland to seal the 2-0 decision.
USI Women’s Soccer closes out its regular-season home schedule on Sunday at 1 p.m. against Lindenwood University, which sits a point in front of USI in the conference standings. Sunday will be USI’s cancer awareness game at Strassweg Field, as fans are encouraged to join the team in wearing pink to help spread awareness in the fight against cancer. Admission to Sunday’s game is free courtesy of ProRehab. Sunday’s match can also be seen with a subscription to ESPN+.
