CHARLESTON, Ill. - Eastern Illinois jumped on top of Valparaiso on a Beacons own goal in the opening three minutes of action before adding an insurance goal in the final three minutes to post a 2-0 win Thursday at Lakeside Field.
 
The win was the first season opening win for the Panthers since the 2017 season and marked the first time EIU had opened a season at home since 2022.
 
Abby Reinl pushed the attack against Valparaiso in the third minute of the match with a Beacons defender scoring an own goal when trying to clear Reinl's cross.
 
The Panthers defense held that 1-0 lead the remainder of the match with goalkeeper Ella Kratochvil turning away six shots on goal, all in the first half.  Kratochvil posted her 15th career shutout as she stands along in fourth place in the EIU record book.
 
Reinl's pressure paid off again late in the second half as she crossed into the top of the Valparaiso goal box with Amelia Mundo sending a long outside shot over the Beacons goalkeeper as she was got in between playing the pass and the shot.
 
The goal was her first as a Panther as she had two of the Panthers nine total shots in the match.  Three of the nine shots were on goal.  Katiebeth May and Reinl had the other two shots on goal.
 
It was the season opener for both teams with EIU moving to 1-0, Valpo drops to 0-1.

MARSHALL 3, MOREHEAD STATE 1
HUNTINGTON, W.V. - Morehead State soccer senior Hannah Carter scored her first career goal, but the Eagles ultimately fell to Marshall, 3-1, at Hoops Family Field in Huntington, W.Va., to open up the 2026 season.

Marshall opened up the scoring quickly to start the game, scoring two early goals on only six initial shots. 

Marshall sophomore Luana Gusmao scored the 'Herd's first goal of the season in the 27th minute, heading it into the top of the goal, thanks to assists from Delfina Lombardi and Marta Garcia. 

Marshall's first goal stopped MSU's shutout streak at 216 minutes and nine seconds, dating back into the 2025 season.

Gusmao followed up her goal with another goal, just more than seven minutes later, this time sneaking it right past Eagle sophomore goalkeeper Allie Lammers to give Marshall an early 2-0 lead. Gusmao's second goal was assisted by Lombardi, and Geovanna Souza. 

The Eagles bounced back rather quickly, scoring less than seven minutes after Gusmao's second goal on Carter's first career goal. Carter knocked in a header into the right corner of the goal from about six yards out, thanks to a corner kick by sophomore Charlotte Lee. Lee was credited with an assist, and the Eagles were back within one, trailing 2-1. 

A high scoring first half continued, as not even a minute later, Lombardi connected on another goal, propelling Marshall to a 3-1 lead. Lombardi's goal in the 42nd minute was assisted by Bailey Fisher and Emma Durand.

The second period began with Marshall maintaining the pressure early, with Gusmao taking a shot in the 50th minute that went over the top. Senior Molly Tapak delivered an absolute strike that just missed, bouncing off the top of the crossbar. 

Following Tapak's near miss, sophomore Olivia Lowe had a crucial opportunity to narrow the gap in the 69th minute with a penalty kick, but it was saved by Durand. 

Morehead State continued to press with multiple corner kicks and shots, including an attempt by sophomore Addison Petry in the 71st minute that was off target.

MSU's defense stood the test in the second half, holding the Thundering Herd to just five shots, none of which were on target. Despite persistent attacks, Morehead State was unable to alter the scoreline.

The Thundering Herd outshot the Eagles 12-8, but MSU heavily led in corner kicks, 8-3.

SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 1, SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 0
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri opened its season with a strong 1-0 victory over Southern Illinois at Houck Stadium on Thursday. 

The Redhawks (1-0) kept the Salukis (0-1) without a shot for the first 45 minutes of the game. Hayley Hogenmiller broke the scoreless tie and scored in the 43rd minute off of a corner kick by Jocelyn Alicea. 

Southeast Missouri State maintained its lead in a tense second period, with Natalie Allison's crucial saves keeping Southern Illinois at bay. Allison denied multiple attempts, including a bottom-right shot by Maya Dixon in the 63rd minute and a bottom-center attempt by Dior Knorr in the 70th minute. 

This is head coach John Kleins first win in a season opener as the Redhawks head coach.

LINDENWOOD 1, BELLARMINE 0
ST. CHARLES, Mo. - The Lindenwood women's soccer team (1-0-0) opened the 2026 campaign with a 1-0 shutout win over Bellarmine (0-1-0) at Hunter Stadium on Thursday night. The Lions put in a dominant all-around effort in the sweltering August heat, racking up a total of 21 shots while limiting the Knights to only four attempts.

The Lions were on the front foot before the first hydration break, controlling much of the possession and outshooting the Knights 4-0 through the first 20 minutes with a pair of shots on goal.

The Lions kept the pressure on following the refresher, and in the half's 44th minute, Mackenzie Compton got on the end of a great ball out the back from Ayla Homann before fending off the Bellarmine defense in front of goal and sliding the ball past the BU keeper and into the net for Lindenwood's first goal of 2026.

LU recorded a total of nine shots in the half, including five on goal, compared to just two for Bellarmine.

Though it did not result in a second goal, Lindenwood continued their attack in the second half, adding another 12 shots with four more on target. Meanwhile, the Lions continued to suffocate the Knights offense, giving up just two more shots through the final 45.

SOUTHERN INDIANA 0, WRIGHT STATE 0
EVANSVILLE, Ind. - University of Southern Indiana Women's Soccer opened the 2026 season and its 30th anniversary year on Thursday at Strassweg Field, earning a result with a 0-0 draw against Wright State University.
 
With Thursday's 0-0 tie, USI collected its first season-opening result since joining the Division I ranks in 2022. Additionally, the shutout against the Raiders gave USI its fifth straight clean sheet going back to the end of the 2025 season. Overall, during the shutout streak, the Screaming Eagles have held the opposition scoreless for 476-plus consecutive minutes.
 
The Screaming Eagles totaled 14 shots in Thursday's contest, with junior forward Josie Pochocki and graduate forward Payton Seymour each registering a team-best four shot attempts. Pochocki had two of USI's three shots on goal. Freshman forward Sienna Respicio also had a shot on frame.
 
Wright State finished with 15 shots and five on goal, while taking 11 corner kicks in the match.
 
In the defensive effort helping to post the team shutout, returning All-OVC Second-Team selection and junior defender Emma Schut, returning OVC All-Newcomer selection and sophomore defender Tierney Mullady, and junior defender Ava Hess helped lead the backline by playing a full 90 minutes. Senior midfielder Kamryn Bea also logged a full 90 minutes of action.
 
Sophomore goalkeeper Merrick Schwalbach notched her second career clean sheet and made five saves in the contest, including a few reactive punch-away saves.
 
Battling humid, muggy conditions on Thursday evening, USI came out some early chances by its three forwards. Pochocki took a couple of early attempts, including one in a one-on-one situation in the 18th minute against Wright State's goalkeeper that was saved. Pochocki had another shot saved later in the first half. USI wound up with a four-shot advantage through the first 45 minutes.
 
In the second half, the Raiders came out with some early attacking pressure and a string of corner kicks. Following an initial shot save by Schwalbach within the first 90 seconds of the second half, Schwalbach punched away a close-range shot over the crossbar to keep the match level at 0-0. About 10 minutes later, Schwalbach thwarted another attack by Wright State by notching two more saves.
 
With just over 15 minutes remaining, USI flipped the field position and the pressure to its attacking end. The Screaming Eagles had three shot attempts in nearly a span of two minutes, including a pair of shots by Seymour. Then in the waning minutes, Wright State tried to take back control on the attacking side, but USI's defensive unit stood tall to close out the season-opening shutout performance.