First league tournament appearance for USI since 2005
Link to complete GLVC Tournament Schedule
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Southern Indiana women's soccer team begins the 2009 post-season at noon Sunday when it travels to Quincy University for the first round of the GLVC Tournament. USI is the seventh seed and a part of the league tournament for the first time since 2005, while Quincy is the second seed.
The Screaming Eagles (9-7-3, 7-5-2 GLVC) have gotten hot at the right time of the year, getting three wins and a tie in the last five GLVC matches. USI also has won four of its last six matches.
During the stretch run of the regular season, the Eagles have caught fire offensively with seven different players scoring a goal. Senior midfielder Rachel Caksackkar led the way with four points on one goal and two assists.
For the season, freshman forward Susan Ellsperman ranks first on the Eagles and 10th in the GLVC with 18 points on seven goals and four assists. The seven goals also are a team-high and tied for sixth in the conference.
Second on the team in the points column is sophomore forward Meagan Kempf, who has 14 points on four goals and a team-best six assists. Kemp's six assists also rank sixth in the GLVC.
Between the posts in the last six matches, the USI defense has done the job by holding the opposition to less than one goal a match. Sophomore goalkeeper Stephanie Bodamer is 3-1-1 during the stretch run with a 1.15 goals against average and two shutouts. Bodamer also leads the Eagles for the season with a 1.41 goals against average, six shutouts, and a 8-7-3 record in goal.
The GLVC Tournament appearance will be the seventh for the Eagles, who are 4-6-0 in league post-season play.
The Hawks of Quincy (12-4-1, 10-2-1 GLVC) have been on a roll throughout most of the season and have won nine of the last 11 matches before ending the regular season with an 8-0 win at the University of Illinois at Springfield. Quincy features forward Jenna Boyko, who is second in the GLVC with 25 points on 11 goals and three assists.
The winner of the USI-Quincy plays the winner of third-seeded Bellarmine University and sixth seeded Drury University in a semifinal match on November 6. The opposite side of the bracket includes top-seeded Northern Kentucky University against eighth-seeded Rockhurst University and fifth-seeded University of Wisconsin-Parkside versus fourth seeded University of Indianapolis. The GLVC Tournament semifinals and the championship match (November 8) will be played at the highest remaining seed following the first round.
