TONIGHT’S SCORES
@Valparaiso 2, Murray State 0
Evansville 2, Austin Peay 1
Eastern Illinois 3, @Eastern Michigan 1
@Miami (Ohio) 5, Morehead State 1
Eastern Kentucky 0, @Maryland 0 (2OT)
@Wright State 3, Jacksonville State 1
UT Martin 2, @Lipscomb 0
@Samford 1, Georgia Southern 0
@Appalachian State 2, Tennessee Tech 0
@Southeast Missouri 1, Northwestern State 0
EASTERN ILLINOIS 3, EASTERN MICHIGAN 1
YPSILANTI, Mich.? Michelle Steinhaus scored twice in less than five minutes and Jenny Williams made six saves in net, leading Eastern Illinois women’s soccer to a 3-1 victory at Eastern Michigan in the season opener for both teams Friday evening.
Steinhaus’s third career multi-goal game, and her first since her 2004 Ohio Valley Conference Freshman of the Year campaign, moved her into sixth place on the EIU all-time goals list with 19. The game-winner, meanwhile, was the ninth of her career, which ranks in program history.
Ashley Slota registered her second career assist on Steinhaus’s first goal, which came in the 53rd minute. The senior forward’s second score was unassisted and came after a long rebound off a shot by Rachel Hamilton.
Hamilton added a late goal in the final minute of the contest. It was the sophomore’s third career score. Meghan Ryon tallied her second assist as a Panther on the goal.
Williams made three saves in each half and all six after she surrendered an early goal in the 12th minute. Defenders Lindsey Wilkening and Slota played the entire match in front of her.
The three goals were the most for EIU in a season opener since scoring six times in a shutout victory against Western Illinois at Lakeside Field in 2003.
The Panthers will conclude their Labor Day Weekend roadtrip Sunday with an 11 a.m. (CDT) contest at Bowling Green.
SAMFORD 1, GEORGIA SOUTHERN 0
The Samford University soccer team opened its 2007 season with a 1-0 victory against the Georgia Southern Eagles on Friday as the Bulldogs improved to 1-0 in the Samford Barber’s Invitational.
With the win, Samford (1-0) reached a prestigious milestone by picking up the program’s 100th all-time victory. The Bulldogs’ Yelton has been at the helm for 62 of the team’s 100 wins.
Samford’s true freshman Lauren Cook tallied the game-winning goal during the 17th minute of play as she scored the first goal of her collegiate career. The score occurred at exactly 16:22 into the match as Cook one-timed a perfectly-placed centering pass from Leah Leppert past the goalkeeper.
Leppert, who is also a true freshman, and Cook were two of six freshmen in the Bulldogs’ starting lineup on Friday.
Samford’s goalkeeper Cayley Winters earned the shutout and made a number of remarkable saves in the match. The Bulldogs’ junior from Littleton, Colo., finished with four saves and improved her career total in shutouts to 13.
With the loss, Georgia Southern (0-1) dropped its first contest of the 2007 campaign and is scheduled to square off against Mississippi State (1-0) on Sunday at 11:30 a.m.
The Eagles were led offensively on Friday by junior forward Ashley Toussaint. Georgia Southern’s speedy native of Warner Robins, Ga., finished with a match-high four shots and two shots on goal.
A total of 18 players earned time on the pitch for the Bulldogs as Yelton took advantage of his deep bench in the second half. Samford outshot Georgia Southern 15-7, while the Eagles outpaced the Bulldogs in corner kicks 4-3.
In the first match of Friday’s competition, Mississippi State scored a late goal to defeat Kennesaw State (0-1), 2-1.
The Samford University soccer team will continue play in the Samford Barber’s Invitational on Sunday as the Bulldogs square off against the Kennesaw State Owls at 2 p.m.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 1, NORTHWESTERN STATE 0
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. ? Freshman forward Ashley Runion tallied her first collegiate goal as Southeast Missouri State soccer (1-0) captured its seventh consecutive season opener after defeating Northwestern State (0-1), 1-0, tonight at Houck Stadium.
Despite holding a 7-4 shooting advantage, the Redhawks and the Demons had several missed scoring chances in the first half, but the score remained in a 0-0 tie heading into intermission. The score stayed the same during the second half until the 72nd minute when Runion hit the back of the net on a cross from the right side off the foot of senior forward Alaina Lacopo .Also assisting on the goal was senior defender Blair Schuppan.
Southeast held on in the final minutes of the match behind its defense and the play of senior goalkeeper Lindsay Pickering. Pickering posted four saves to earn the shutout, the 21st of her career. Runion tallied a game-high six shots and sophomore forward Courtney Alexander contributed five shot attempts. The Redhawks finished with a 16-5 duke in shots and a 5-0 advantage in corner kicks.
Southeast heads to Springfield, Mo., for a non-conference contest Sunday afternoon at Missouri State with a start time of 1 p.m.
EASTERN KENTUCKY 0, MARYLAND 0
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Freshman Stephanie Lynch set a school record with 19 saves, leading the Eastern Kentucky women's soccer team to a stunning 0-0 tie with regionally-ranked Maryland on Friday night at Ludwig field. It was the first game of the 2007 season for each team.
The Terrapins set a Ludwig field record with 55 shots but were unable to slip any by Lynch who broke Christinal Graul's program record of 17 saves in a game. She also set the Ludwig Field record which was previously 14.
Freshman Alex Raich led EKU with two shots while junior Kayla Swearingen and freshmen Ashley Green each recorded one apiece.
Freshman Yewande Balogun made three saves for the Terrapins who also held an 11-0 advantage in corner kicks.
The Colonels will return to action on Sunday, traveling to take on the Towson Tigers at 1 p.m.
VALPARAISO 2, MURRAY STATE 0
VALPARAISO, Ind. - The Murray State Soccer team began their 2007 season with a 2-0 loss at Valparaiso Friday afternoon at Eastgate Field.
MSU’s Krista Muilkens had a shot on goal 2:34 into the contest, but it was saved by Valpo keeper Erin Murray.
The first goal of the match came at the 15:24 mark of the opening half when Valpo’s Sarah Jewell had a corner kick. Her kick was headed toward MSU keeper Tara Isbell and went off the cross bar. Crusader player Jackie Thomas was there to kick in the rebound for a 1-0 Valparaiso lead.
24:22 into the half, the Racers nearly tied the score when Lacey Latimer just missed wide right on a deflection about 10 yards in front of the right side of the goal.
Isbell and Jaclyn Ramage teamed up to make a save to keep the match a 1-0 game at the 34:17 mark.
The half ended with the Racers trailing 1-0.
The Crusaders added another goal in the 74th minute on a goal by Jesse White for a 2-0 lead.
Murray State could not mount an offensive and dropped their season opener for the fourth straight season.
MSU was out shot 10-8 for the match, while Valpo had five shots on goal with the Racers getting three. Krista Muilkens led the MSU attack with three shots, two of which were on the goal.
The Racers now trail the all-time series with Valparaiso 4-1.
Murray State comes back to Murray for their home opener at Cutchin Field Sunday at 1 p.m. when they host the Lipscomb Bisons. The Racers lead the all-time series with Lipscomb 2-0.
EVANSVILLE 2, AUSTIN PEAY 1
DAYTON, Ohio - Austin Peay State University women’s soccer team opened its season with a 2-1 loss to Evansville at the Wright State Soccer Classic, Friday. The Lady Govs posted an early goal, but the Aces countered with a pair of answered goals to seal the win. It’s the second-straight year Austin Peay has opened its season losing to Evansville.
Junior Ashley Beck took little time reassuring head coach Kelley Guth that she was the striker on this team. In the 16th minute, she came up with an Evansville turnover that brought the defending keeper 10 yards out of net for the easy score. The 1-0 lead would not hold up.
After four Evansville corner kicks, UE’s Rocky Hearst sliced a long pass up the middle to Mia Tofano for the game-tying score. The Purple Aces outshot the Lady Govs 6-3 in the first half, also carrying a 6-0 advantage on corner kicks.
The second half saw the Austin Peay offense become nonexistent as Evansville continued with a onslaught of offensive attacks. Heidi Grey sent a deflection to the back of the net for the game-winner in the 56th minute. Evansville rattled off seven shots to Austin Peay’s two in the second half.
Beck recorded two shots for the Lady Govs, while junior Elyse Lovelace and freshmen Samantha Northrop and Kellie Cannon each recorded one shot. Sophomore goalkeeper Michelle Smith finished allowing two goals and making three stops.
Kayla Lambert had three shots, two on goal, for Evansville, while Tofano and Grey each had a pair of shots.
The Lady Govs return to action with a 2 p.m., Sunday match against host Wright State to conclude the WSU Soccer Classic.
WRIGHT STATE 3, JACKSONVILLE STATE 1
DAYTON, Ohio - Despite a late goal from freshman Kaitlyn MacLellan, the Jacksonville State University (0-1, 0-0) soccer team dropped its season opener Friday night 3-1 to Wright State in the opening game of the Wright State Fall Classic.
After a scorelss first half, WSU's Amy Miller struck for three goals in a six minute span early in the second half to stake the Raiders to a 3-0 lead. It was a deficit that would prove to be insurmountalbe for the Gamecocks.
Miller broke the scoreless tie in the 50th minute and found the back of the net again two minutes later for the eventual game-winning goal on a one touch pass inside the box from Amber Kasmer. She rounded out WSU's scoring in the 56th minute with an unassisted goal.
However, JSU didn't fade into the night easily. MacLellan collected the team's first goal of the season and the first of her career on a free kick from 20 yards out in the 71st minute to bring the Gamecocks to within two goals of a possible tie. JSU finished with eight shots on the night, six of which were on-goal, but WSU goalkeeper Meghan Hackerson made five saves and kept JSU from drawing any closer.
Junior Kate Kelly got the start in net for Friday's opener and responded well. Kelly faced 19 shots and made 11 saves, her highest total since September 10, 2006 when she had 15 saves against Kennesaw State.
In addition to MacLellan, three other Jax State freshmen earned starts in their first collegiate match. MacLellan, Sara Neibuhr, Alyshia Madison and Debbie Matich all played the entire 90 minutes and fellow freshman Kim Kimmel entered the game in the first half as a reserve and played 75 minutes in all. Kimmel and Amber DeLaney each finished with two shots in the match. Madison and Moore each had one.
JSU will return to action Sunday at 11 a.m. when it takes on Evansville in the final round of the Wright State Fall Classic.
MIAMI (OH) 5, MOREHEAD STATE 1
OXFORD, Ohio - Senior forward Rebekah Kendall moved one goal closer to setting the Morehead State career record Friday night in the Eagles' season opener at Miami University. Unfortunately for MSU, the host RedHawks got a hat trick from Julie Thompson off the bench and two goals from Sara Lund to defeat the Eagles, 5-1.
Kendall, who entered the season needing eight goals to tie the current MSU career record and nine to break it, scored her first goal of the year in the 84th minute with no assist credited. The Eagles, however, were already down 3-0 at that point thanks to a pair of Thompson scores and a goal from Lund.
That offensive pair added another goal each in the final five minutes as the Redhawks won their second straight over the Eagles.
Lund put Miami on top 1-0 in the 17th minute. The Eagles held the hosts scoreless for the rest of the first half. Thompson registered her first goal at 69:17, getting a shot past Eagle keeper Leslie King. She struck again just 13 seconds later with her second tally, and the hosts had built a 3-0 lead.
King allowed three goals on the night before giving way to freshman keeper Samantha Yocke in the 72nd minute. She made seven saves. Yocke allowed the final goals and stopped one shot.
The Eagles certainly had their chances, recording 17 shots in the 90-minute contest, including seven on-goal. Kendall had six shots to lead MSU's effort, while sophomore transfer Miko Alley took three. Miami had 13 shots on-goal and 24 overall.