THURSDAY'S RECAPS
Eastern Illinois 1, Valparaiso 0
Morehead State 2, Eastern Kentucky 1
Lindenwood 2, IU Indy 0
SIUE 6, Chicago State 1
Southern Illinois 1,
Southeast Missouri 0
Saint Mary’s (CA) 4,
Tennessee Tech 0
Southern Indiana 2, Robert Morris 2
Little Rock 0, Arizona State 0
EASTERN ILLINOIS 1, VALPARAISO 0
CHARLESTON, Ill. - It was 20-plus years in the making but Kya Trejo snapped Eastern Illinois long losing skid against Valparaiso with her game winning goal in the 66th minute on Thursday afternoon.
Trejo scored the goal as she picked up a steal in a transition deep in Valparaiso territory and sent the ball to the upper left hand corner for the winner.
The goal provided EIU its first win of the season as the Panthers moved to 1-1-1 on the year.
EIU had a couple of other good scoring chances that were turned away by Beacons starting goalkeeper Kate Sheridan.
Sheridan made a save on a second half penalty kick awarded to EIU and then made a second save on a point blank shot-on-goal on the reflection. EIU scored on its third attempt close in the box but the goal was wiped out with an offsides call.
Carys Grieve and Abby Reinl both had two shots on goal as EIU had seven of its nine shots in the match on target.
Valparaiso (1-1) had three total shots on goal with 15 total shots in the match. Ashlyn Hoover picked up the win with the clean sheet in the net.
EIU's last win over Valparaiso was in October 6, 2002.
MOREHEAD STATE 2, EASTERN KENTUCKY 1
RICHMOND, Ky. - The Morehead State soccer team scored two unanswered goals to retake the "Bluegrass Cup" from archrival Eastern Kentucky in a 2-1 win on Thursday afternoon at the EKU Soccer Field in Richmond, Ky.
The victory was the first this year for the Eagles and coach Paul Cox and snapped a string of five consecutive winless efforts against the Colonels. It also was the final outing of MSU's three-game season-opening road trip and the home opener for EKU. The Blue and Gold is now 4-2-1 in its last seven road games.
Morehead State (1-1-1) got a goal from junior midfielder Kennedy Baquero and the game-winner off the foot of freshman forward Carlie Thurmond.
Eastern Kentucky (0-3-0) got on the board just after kickoff with an unassisted tally by Ana Manning. However, Baquero answered in the 19th minute on a 20-yard shot from the right side which she placed into the upper right corner off an assist by senior forward Erin Fite, who was seeing her first action of the regular season.
The score remained 1-1 into halftime, but the Eagles got back on the board with a score in the 56th minute. Sophomore defender Hannah Burke lofted a ball from the right sideline to the goal mouth in the middle of the field that EKU keeper Ruby Morgan tried to bat down, but the ball landed at the feet of Thurmond, who tapped it into the back of the net from just inside the left post from a few yards out. Burke was credited with the assist on the play.
EKU earned a free kick deep in the Eagles' defensive zone, but the hosts were unsuccessful in converting it into a shot as Morehead State cleared the ball out of its end and Eastern Kentucky was unable to mount another threat as MSU came away with the win in the 17th game of the series. The Eagles now lead 8-6-2. It was Morehead State's first victory over the Colonels since 2015 and its first in Richmond since 2014.
MSU had a decisive advantage in shots (20 to 9), including an 8-3 edge in attempts on frame. The Blue and Gold also had more corner kicks (6 to 3) and more fouls (10 to 4), while the Colonels were flagged for being offside six times to just three for MSU.
Both teams received two cards, but Eastern Kentucky's Ella Grode drew an expulsion after receiving two yellows.
The hosts held a slight edge in possession percentage (51 to 49), but MSU had the ball in the Colonels' defensive end for 52 percent of the game.
Thurmond finished with a team season high six shots, while Baquero and graduate student defender Anna Lohrer each recorded three. Manning got off five for the hosts.
Freshman goalkeeper Claire Cress made two saves in the Eagle net, while Morgan was credited with six.
LINDENWOOD 2, IU INDY 0
ST, CHARLES, Mo. - On Thursday, the Lindenwood women's soccer team in their home opener hosted IU Indy. The Lions would win 2-0 over the Jaguars.
In the first half, the Lions defense would hold the Jaguars scoreless, leaving them with only three shots in the frame. In the 28th minute, Eyglo Thorsteinsdottir would break the ice, scoring off a header into the top-right corner, to give the Lions a 1-0 lead. Thorsteinsdottir's goal would be scored off a Tasneem Dizdarevic corner kick. Four minutes later, Lindenwood would be fouled in the box leading to a penalty kick. Anna Johnson would take the penalty kick, putting it in the bottom-right corner, extending Lindenwood's lead to two. After one half of play, Lindenwood would lead 2-0. Lindenwood outshot the Jaguars 4-3 in the frame.
In the second half, the Jaguars would find their form offensively, recording eight shots with three of them being on net. Lindenwood's strong defensive play would hold them scoreless in the frame. Lindenwood would have four shots in the frame, with two of them being on target.
Caroline Ritter made her debut in net, making four saves and recording her first career shutout.
After the match, Lindenwood moved to 2-1-0 on the season.
SIUE 6, CHICAGO STATE 1
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - Savannah DeFini scored a hat trick and the SIUE women's soccer rolled to a 6-1 victory over Chicago State Thursday at Korte Stadium.
SIUE was successful for the sixth straight season in the home opener and improved its season record to 1-0-1.
DeFini started the SIUE scoring spree at 8:26 on a pass from Kaitlyn Nichols in the box.
Matea Diekema, the two-time OVC Defender of the Year, scored her first goal of the season at 17:37 from DeFini.
Aleah Minehart made it 3-0 by halftime on an unassisted goal at 39:52.
DeFini scored the next two SIUE goals to begin the second half, the second on a penalty kick at 50:44.
Kasey Neidhardt added the final goal of the game for SIUE at 57:54, taking a Sidney Christopher pass.
Abby Haskell and Samaya Hogg shared time as the team's goalkeeper. The duo each played 45 minutes.
No SIUE player was on the field for more than 70 minutes in the contest. Chicago State, 0-3, was outshot by SIUE 20-8.
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 1, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 0
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri women's soccer (0-2-0) fell on Thursday night to Southern Illinois (1-0-2) by a final score of 1-0 from Houck Field.
The Salukis edged the Redhawks in shots for the match with an 11-8 advantage led by Guliana Ballstreri (2). Two Redhawks registered multiple shots on Thursday as freshman forward Alli Saviano and midfielder Elizabeth Rater finished with two shots apiece.
For Saviano, the start was the first of the season for the freshman from Columbia, Mo. due to the first match of the season (8/15) being postponed. She played the full 90-minutes in Thursday's match.
Four other Redhawks played the full 90-minute shift on Thursday in Rater, Kristin Anderson, Alayna Jakul, and midfielder Justi Nelson. Nelson finished the match with a shot-on-goal.
The Redhawks and Salukis played to a 0-0 draw at halftime behind a save from goalkeeper Sophia Elfrink. SIU outshot SEMO 7-4 in the first 45.
Sophomore goalkeeper Madison Geisler started the second half for the Redhawks as she made a save late in the second half.
The Salukis got on the board midway through the second 45 as Sophia Schlicklin took a pass from Dana Cruz and scored past Geisler to give SIU a 1-0 advantage.
SEMO would not go away quietly. Elizabeth Rater, who scored the goal on Sunday night, fired another shot from distance that was knocked away by SIU goalkeeper Fabiana Solano.
The goal proved to be the difference as the Redhawks could not find the equalizer to give SIU the 1-0 victory.
SAINT MARY'S (CA) 4, TENNESSEE TECH 0
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - The Tennessee Tech soccer team was denied the chance at its first win of the season as Saint Mary's came to Cookeville and left with a 4-0 victory Thursday evening at Tech Soccer Field.
The Gaels (1-1-1) picked up a goal in the first and scored three more in the second to secure their first triumph in 2024. Tessa Salvestrin led the SMC charge behind a hat trick that saw the 5-foot-11 junior split the pipes in the 17th, 46th and 69th minutes, accounting for the squad's first three goals in the match.
Taylor Kessler provided the Gaels with the final score after finding the back of the net on a penalty kick in the 82nd minute.
The Golden Eagles (0-2-1) attempted four shots in the contest behind a pair of on-goal attempts by Neve Renwick, a Meredith Nye bid on-point and a Claire Payla shot in the second half. The Gaels posted 23 total shots and 14 attempts on-goal. Salvestrin notched a match-leading six tries, while Briana Salvetti took five shots, four of which were on-target. Salvetti also assisted on each of the first two SMC goals.
Maggie Conrad tied a career-high with 10 saves, which included nine first-half stops. Kate Plachy picked up her second-consecutive clean sheet thanks to three halts over the course of 90 minutes.
SOUTHERN INDIANA 2, ROBERT MORRIS 2
EVANSVILLE, Ind. - University of Southern Indiana Women's Soccer recorded a 2-2 draw against Robert Morris University Thursday night to open the Screaming Eagles' 2024 home slate at Strassweg Field.
Southern Indiana (0-1-1) started the match with an energetic burst, getting on the scoreboard in the seventh minute of the match. USI's first goal of the 2024 regular season was scored off a header by redshirt freshman Eva Boer (St. Charles, Illinois) on a pair of connections from midfielder Pilar Torres (Chula Vista, California) and sophomore midfielder Kerigan Kivisto (Collierville, Tennessee) to give USI an early 1-0 advantage.
USI's defense played a strong first half against an impressive offensive attack from Robert Morris (2-0-0). Redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Anna Markland (Hoover, Alabama) made a spectacular save on a one-on-one attempt against Robert Morris' front line.
Southern Indiana continued to develop opportunities deep into Robert Morris' defensive third. Junior defender Brynn Quick (Cottage Grove, Minnesota) had a scoring opportunity off a corner kick that was saved, but in the last 90 seconds of the first half, junior forward Payton Seymour (Louisville, Kentucky) doubled USI's opening-half lead to 2-0 by finding the back of the net off an assist from junior midfielder Emerson Grafton (Camas, Washington) and freshman midfielder Josie Pochocki (LaGrange Park, Illinois). The Eagles' 2-0 lead carried into halftime.
Out of the break, USI's defense continued to withhold the pressure from the Colonials, including a quick save by Markland. On the flip side of the field, the Screaming Eagles' continued their offensive pressure with three shots in the first 10 minutes of the second half, including a shot at the top of the box from Torres that flew slightly above the crossbar.
However, Robert Morris ramped up its attack and pushed numbers forward. The Colonials pulled within a goal, 2-1, in the 65th minute on a header by junior forward Paloma Swankler that bounced high and into the goal.
The Screaming Eagles created multiple attempts toward an insurance goal, featuring three shots in a two-minute span. Seymour nearly had her second goal of the evening with a header that grazed the outside part of the post and out.
The relentlessness of Robert Morris eventually led to the game-tying goal in the 84th minute on a lofted breakaway shot attempt by graduate senior forward Haleigh Finale. The 2-2 score held firm in the final minutes.
For the contest, Southern Indiana outshot Robert Morris, 19-15. The Screaming Eagles placed 10 chances on goal. Not only scoring a goal in the game, Seymour tallied a team-high four shots with two on frame. Kivisto had three shots to go along with an assist. Boer finished with two shots, including the game's first goal. Between the posts, Markland totaled three saves.
LITTLE ROCK 0, ARIZONA STATE 0
TEMPE, Ariz. - The Trojans walked out of Sun Devil Soccer Stadium with a draw, thanks to Peyton Urban's career-high 7 saves.
Little Rock hit the ground running with a fiery offense right from kickoff. Jaeda Centeno nearly broke the silence with a shot from outside the penalty box that hit the right goalpost. After 23 minutes of intense pressure and pace, Arizona State made a 10-player substitution.
Following a water break in the 25th minute, the Sun Devils began to find their offensive stride. They recorded six shots in the final 20 minutes of the first half, but suffocating defensive pressure from the Trojans' backline proved to be an insurmountable disruption.
The first half saw Arizona State outshoot Little Rock 9-2, with each team recording a save. Little Rock committed only one foul compared to Arizona State's five.
The second half saw an early formation change from Arizona State, which initially troubled Little Rock. However, with a senior backline and leadership from Mykena Turner, the Trojans made defensive adjustments that effectively disrupted the Sun Devil offense.
Peyton Urban (90 minutes), Serenity Thake (89), Sherry Saad (90), Amaya Arias (85), Abbie Smith (82), and Kaitlin Graeber (90) all played over 80 minutes.
Ruth Barragan played 34 minutes, providing a strong spark off the bench and leading all freshmen in minutes.
Captains Abbie Smith and Mykena Turner led the team to their first result against a Power 4 school since 2016.