SUNDAY'S SCORES
@Liberty 1, Lindenwood 0
Eastern Illinois 2, @UIW 0
@HCU 1, Western Illinois 0
SIUE 2, @Southern Indiana 2
LIBERTY 1, LINDENWOOD 0
LYNCHBURG, Va. - The Liberty Flames used a solid defensive effort to knock the Lindenwood Lions from the ranks of the unbeaten with a 1-0 victory Sunday in an Ohio Valley Conference match at Osborne Stadium.
In a match of two of the higher-scoring teams in the OVC, it was each team's defensive efforts that were on display throughout the contest. After a scoreless first half, Liberty broke through during the 59th minute for the game's lone goal by Leo Conneh and then held the visiting Lions' attack in check the rest of the way.
With Liberty's victory still in doubt with 17 seconds remaining, Lindwood's Leanadro Haeseler came free at the goal's left post for a header. However, Flames goalkeeper Tyler Beck snatched the shot out of the air to secure the victory.
Liberty moves to 3-1-1 in the OVC and 7-3-3 overall. Lindenwood drops to 3-1-1 in the OVC and 10-1-2 overall.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 2, UIW 0
SAN ANTONIO - Eastern Illinois men's soccer picked up a 2-0 win on Sunday afternoon at Incarnate Word as the Panthers split their weekend Texas swing.
EIU improved to 2-7-2 overall, 1-3-1 in the OVC. UIW dropped to 4-4-5 overall, 0-2-3 in the OVC.
Lucas Ortiz made his third straight start in goal posting the shutout as he turned away both Incarnate Word shots on goal by Francisco Segura and Daniel Ordonez.
EIU applied offensive pressure the entire match finishing with 16 total shots and nine shots on goal.
Fabricio Roberti put EIU up midway through the first with his goal in the 23rd minute.
Ben Griffis added the insurance goal just over six minutes into the second half.
Six total EIU players had shots on goal by Casey Welage with three and Kento Tani with two.
HCU 1, WESTERN ILLINOIS 0
HOUSTON - Houston Christian University outlasted Western Illinois University for a 1-0 victory in a Sunday matinee at Sorrels Field. The win was the third in a row for the Huskies, vaulting them into a three-way tie for first place midway through the conference slate.
Xavier Gagnon put one on Alex Aitken just short of a half hour for the visitor's best look of the first half, while HCU wouldn't find the pipes at all in the first half, as both teams settled into a tight defensive struggle.
The second half began like the first, as both teams tried to control tempo and find that one opening. In the 58th minute, Ricardo Garcia took a shot from outside the box that was deflected to D'Alessandro Herrera near the back post. His initial shot was saved by WIU goalkeeper Micah Ramirez, but the rebound came right back to Herrera for the quick stickback and a 1-0 lead.
That lead would hold as the Huskies defense stiffened down the stretch. The Leathernecks would get just one shot on the pipes in the second frame, a shot by Jack Schwering in the 61st minute that was handled by Aitken and a strong bench contingent buoyed a smothering final third in the last 19 minutes to see out the result.
Herrera led the Huskies with his third goal of the campaign on three total shots. Ricardo Garcia had four shots with two on target.
Alex Aitken earned his seventh shutout of the season. It was the 19th clean sheet for the senior, pushing him past former keeper and former Head Coach Benny Agosto for the top spot in program history.
Both teams attempted 12 shots total, six in each half in the physical contest. Only four were on target for the Huskies to just a pair for the Leathernecks.
Gagnon and Schwering had the looks on goal for Western Illinois, while Ramirez was solid in the pipes to the tune of just the one goal allowed and three saves for the Leathernecks, now 3-9-2 overall and 1-2-2 in the OVC.
HCU hits the midway point of the conference slate on the heels of its third straight win. The Huskies, 8-3-1 overall, now sit in a three-way tie for first place at 3-1-1 in league play with Liberty and Lindenwood by virtue of the Flames handing Lindenwood its' first loss of the season on Sunday afternoon.
SIUE 2, SOUTHERN INDIANA 2
EVANSVILLE - University of Southern Indiana Men's Soccer records its fourth consecutive result with a 2-2 draw against Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Sunday night at Strassweg Field.
Today's draw marks the first time that the Screaming Eagles have recorded four consecutive results since the 2021 season. Over the four-game stretch, the team has scored 10 goals, the most over a four-game stretch since returning to Division I.
The Cougars came out of the gate applying pressure on the Eagles' backline. Finding the back of the net first at 22:13, and again at 30:33, taking a 2-0 lead over USI. Southern Indiana fought back late in the half, with freshman Kadiri Bello nabbing his first goal of the season off a free kick from freshman Chase Smith.
In the first half, USI was playing on its back foot, getting outshot 12-2 and 6-2 on goal. The Cougars also recorded three assists on their two goals, compared to the Eagles' single assist from Smith. In goal, freshman Jacob English recorded four saves through the first 45 minutes.
USI's defense tightened in the second half, allowing zero goals on just five shots. Sophomore David Davila scored the equalizer in the 74th minute, completing the two-goal comeback. Davila's goal marks his third goal of the week and fifth of the season.
For the game, USI was outshot 17-6 and 9-5 on goal. Davila led the Eagles with four shots, three on goal, and the equalizing goal. Bello and Smith combined for the team's two remaining shots. English led the game, tallying seven saves and limiting the Cougars to two goals.