SUNDAY'S SCORES
UIW 0, @Southern Indiana 0
@SIUE 3, Liberty 1
HCU 3, @Eastern Illinois 0
@Lindenwood 1, Western Illinois 0
UIW 0, SOUTHERN INDIANA 0
EVANSVILLE, Ind. - University of Southern Indiana Men's Soccer snapped a three-match losing streak with a 0-0 draw with the University of the Incarnate Word Sunday morning on Senior Day at Strassweg Field. The Screaming Eagles fall to 2-10-1 overall and 1-3-1 in the OVC, while the Cardinals go to 4-5-1, 2-2-1 OVC.
The USI-UIW tie with the first draw to be recorded in men's soccer conference play this fall.
The opening 45 minutes was a battle of the goalkeepers as USI and UIW combined for 10 shots on goal. USI sophomore goalkeeper Andrew Klott was spectacular in the first half with five saves as he faced seven Cardinal shots.
The Eagles had the overall lead in the first half in shots, 8-7, with five on-goal and the advantage in corner kicks, 4-3.
The defensive battle continued throughout the second 45 finals as the match raced to a 0-0 draw. Klott duplicated his first half efforts with five more saves, ending two short of tying a career best (12 vs. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville).
UIW had the lead in chances in the second half, 9-7, in shots, while it was even in corner kicks, 3-3.
Overall for the match, UIW had a one-shot lead, 16-15, with USI leading in corners, 7-6. USI freshman forward David Davilla had a match-best five shots, two on-goal.
SIUE 3, LIBERTY 1
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - SIUE used a pair of second-half goals to stay undefeated in the Ohio Valley Conference with a 3-1 win over Liberty at Korte Stadium Sunday afternoon.
The Cougars moved to 5-0 in OVC play and 7-3-2 overall. Liberty fell to 5-5-1 and 3-2 in the league.
The Cougars got on the board first, when Stephan Moreira worked the ball out of a tight spot on the right side of the goal, he spun through traffic and placed a ball in the air to the middle of the six-yard box, where Jacobo Sanfeliu headed home for the 1-0 lead.
Liberty equalized with less than four minutes to play in the first half. Perry Blay made a run down the right side before curling a pass into the box. The ball was deflected into the net by the Cougar defense to tie the score 1-1 heading to halftime.
It stayed level until the 78th minute when the Cougars were awarded a free kick just outside the box. Yasha Schaerer took the shot, which was saved by Liberty goalkeeper Owen Moore, who gave up a rebound in front of the goal. Jacob Bilyeu was there to bang it in for his first of the year.
Carles Zomeno scored his first goal as a Cougar to seal the win for SIUE with just 3:29 to play. Zomeno caught Moore off his line and sent a ball in from more than 70 yards away for the final score.
SIUE outshot Liberty 18-13. Seven of SIUE's shots were on goal, while the Flames put six on frame against SIUE. Rob Gjelaj turned away all six.
Schaerer and Nacho Abeal each had five total shots and two on goal to lead the Cougars.
HCU 3, EASTERN ILLINOIS 0
CHARLESTON, Ill. - Houston Christian University got on the board just into the third minute of play and went on to complete a convincing sweep of the Midwest road trip by blanking Eastern Illinois University in a Sunday matinee at Lakeside Field. The Huskies put together a second straight clean sheet on an away pitch as they won for the fourth time in their last five and took over sole possession of second place in the OVC table.
The Huskies wasted no time getting on the scoreboard with an aggressive push right out of the gates. An early corner was sent into the box where after being batted around in traffic was knocked out to Rio Pemberton just outside the 18. His cross to the backside met Morgan Worsfold-Gregg, who smashed in a left-footed strike to give HCU a one-nil advantage just 2:04 into the contest.
HCU would control the tempo for close to a half hour more before a Thomas Wyke shot was saved by EIU's Chad Smith, leading to another corner. After finding traffic, the ball bounded its way to the edge of the 18 where Worsfold-Gregg would have a go. That shot was deflected right to Sam Zeeman on the back post and his flick found the bottom corner for a two-goal lead.
That's where the score stood heading to the intermission and then for 35 minutes after until the Huskies found the back of the net once more. With just under 10 to play, HCU found themselves on the counter attack and a pretty ball forward from Ethan Giwa-McNeil hit D'Alessandro Herrera just outside the 18 on the right-side.
Herrera fed a nice drop just inside the goal area where Ryan Okerayi faked a shot and allowed the ball to pass through, where it found the awaiting right foot of Rio Pemberton. The freshman neatly stroked the one-timer into the top shelf to secure the three points for HCU.
HCU outshot the hosts 16-7 on the afternoon, and went 3-4 on shots on goal. HCU earned seven corners to none for the Panthers who fall to 1-9-1 overall and 0-5-0 in OVC play.
Worsfold-Gregg and Pemberton opened their HCU accounts, becoming the 10th and 11th different Huskies to hit the back of the net this season. Pemberton led HCU with four shots and Worsfold-Gregg added two, and each also accounted for an assist, the second each respectively for the rookie English duo. Ethan Giwa-McNeil had two assists on the afternoon as well.
Sam Zeeman put home his second score of the season and led another tremendous defensive effort in front of Alex Aitken, who had four saves on the day while collecting his second clean sheet of the road trip. Aitken now has four shutouts on the campaign, all coming in his last six outings between the posts.
Now 6-5-2 overall, the Huskies have moved into sole possession of second place in the OVC standings at 4-1-0 as the league hits the midway point of the conference slate. SIU-Edwardsville remains undefeated and top of the table after its 3-1 win at home over Liberty on Sunday, which drops the Flames to 3-2 in league play. UIW tied with Southern Indiana 0-0 and Lindenwood defeated Western Illnois 1-0 in other league action Sunday.
LINDENWOOD 1, WESTERN ILLINOIS 0
ST. CHARLES, Mo. - Lindenwood men's soccer (7-5-1, 3-2-0 OVC) clinches their third Ohio Valley Conference win of the season after defeating Western Illinois (6-7-1, 1-4-0 OVC) by a final score of 1-0. The Lions tie the school Division I record in wins (7) and OVC wins (3).
Ethan Blake continued his dominance in OVC play to start his senior season scoring his team-high fifth goal. After his penalty goal on Sunday, he now leads the OVC in total points with 17. Blake also has seven assists on the season.
All three OVC wins for Lindenwood this season have been a shutout. Enzo Gil has been in net for the Lions for all three of those wins including Sunday's match. Gil made three saves in net for the Lions during his 90 minutes of action.
Lindenwood's defense kept the Lions in this match after allowing just four total shots against the Leathernecks of Western Illinois. Noe Bijou and Mekhi Wright on defense played all 90 minutes in the shutout.
The first half had little offense with just three total shots taken, two of them by Lindenwood. Neither team made a save during the period as Western Illinois had three offsides to just two by the Lions.
Both teams' offenses started to pick up in the second half as Lindenwood had seven shots during the final 45 minutes including five on goal. The Lions' first opportunity to score came during the 57th minute after Isaac Johnson had an angel on the right side of the box, but Joel McIntyre of WIU kicked the ball out right in front of the net.
Lindenwood's offense started to move the ball inside of the Leathernecks' zone when Blake was fouled during the 81st minute by Leevi Searengen to set up the PK kick. Blake scored in the top left of the net to give LU the game winning goal. He has now scored two penalty goals this season and has four game-winning goals for Lindenwood.