EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Southern Indiana women's soccer team launches the 2012 Great Lakes Valley Conference campaign Friday at 21
st-ranked Quincy University and Sunday at the University of Illinois Springfield. Kick-off Friday night at Quincy is 5 p.m., while match time Sunday at UIS is set for noon.
USI starts conference action looking for its fourth straight appearance in the GLVC Tournament and its first league title in the history of the program. The squad was 9-5-1 in the GLVC last year, placing sixth.
The Screaming Eagles are off to a 1-1-0 start to the season and their season-opening four-game road swing. USI was shut out by Ohio Dominican University, 3-0, to begin the road trip, but bounced back to even the record against Urbana University, 3-1.
The Eagles were led in the victory by freshman forward
Shelby Tarantino (Loveland, Ohio), who scored the eventual game-winning goal and assisted on the third goal. Junior forward
Julia Kohnen (Florissant, Missouri) scored USI's first goal of the year, while senior forward
Susan Ellsperman (Newburgh, Indiana) finished the scoring with third goal of the match.
USI starts the second half of the road trip with the Hawks of Quincy. The Hawks entered the national ranking this week after defeating Lynn University, 1-0, in a neutral site match and Missouri Southern State College, 4-1, at home.
The Eagles trail in the all-time series with the Hawks, 9-6-1, after defeating Quincy, 1-0, in overtime last fall at Strassweg Field.
The final stop on the season-opening road trip is UIS. The Prairie Stars open the year with a double-overtime tie, 0-0, at Lindenwood University and a 4-0 victory over Lindenwood University-Belleville at home.
The Eagle have swept the first three meetings with the Prairie Stars, including last year's 1-0 victory at Strassweg Field.
USI returns to the friendly surroundings of Strassweg Field September 14 when it hosts the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
