EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Southern Indiana women's soccer team hopes to lock-up a GLVC Tournament slot this week on the road when it travels to Kentucky Wesleyan College and Bellarmine University. USI is scheduled to play at KWC Friday at 2:30 p.m. and finish the season at Bellarmine Sunday at 11 a.m.
The Screaming Eagles are currently tied seventh in the GLVC with Rockhurst University and one-and-a-half games ahead of Missouri University of Science and Technology. USI can clinch a spot in the league tournament with a win and a loss by Missouri S&T; or a pair of Eagle wins.
USI could rise as high as sixth with a pair of wins and a pair of losses by the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. The GLVC Tournament is scheduled to start on November 1 with the semifinals on November 6 and the finals on November 8 .
The Eagles (8-7-2, 6-5-1 GLVC) started the season-ending road trip with a pair of victories last weekend, defeating the University of Missouri-St. Louis, 1-0, and Urbana University, 2-0.
USI freshman forward Susan Ellsperman leads the Eagles in scoring with 17 points on seven goals and three assists. The 17 points rank ninth in the GLVC, while her seven goals are tied for fourth.
Sophomore forward Meagan Kempf follows Ellsperman in the scoring column with 14 points on four goals and a team-best six assists. The six assists are tied for sixth in the GLVC.
The Panthers of KWC (7-9-1, 4-9-0 GLVC) were 1-1 last week and broke a four-match losing streak with a 2-1 win over Maryville University. USI is 11-0-0 against KWC in the all-time series and won last year' match-up, 3-1, at Strassweg Field.
The Knights of Bellarmine (11-2-0, 9-2-0 GLVC) are in second place in the GLVC by percentage points over Quincy University and a game ahead of fourth-place Drury University. Bellarmine has won it last three matches and eight of its last nine.
USI trails Bellarmine in the all-time series, 7-6-0, and have lost the last three to the Knights. The Eagles lost a heartbreaker in Louisville, Kentucky, last year in double overtime, 2-1.
