EVANSVILLE, Ind. - University of Southern Indiana Women's Soccer wraps up its regular season home schedule Thursday when the Screaming Eagles battle Southeast Missouri State University at 7 p.m. from Strassweg Field.
 
Southern Indiana is 4-6-6 this season and 3-1-3 in Ohio Valley Conference action. USI is riding a season-best five-match unbeaten streak, going 3-0-2. USI has also earned a result in nine of the last 10 matches, going 4-1-5 during that stretch. Plus, the Eagles have taken care of business at home recently, going 3-0-2 in the last five contests at Strassweg Field.
 
The Screaming Eagles are coming off back-to-back ties, including a 1-1 draw last time out on Sunday on the road at the University of Tennessee at Martin. In a high-shooting game, USI outshot UT Martin 21-20. The 21 shots were a season-high for Southern Indiana. Additionally, after Sunday's tie along with other results around the OVC, USI clinched its berth into the OVC Tournament for the second consecutive season.
 
The Skyhawks struck first with a goal in the 10^th minute. Prior to that goal, Southern Indiana's defense had not been scored on in the previous three full matches and 290 minutes. The Screaming Eagles tied the match early in the second half when freshman midfielder Greta Ohlwein (Chicago, Illinois) scored her first career goal, becoming the sixth different USI player to score a career first this season.
 
In the final five minutes, the Eagles ripped four shots looking for the potential go-ahead goal. Freshman midfielder Lydia Bordfeld (Evansville, Indiana) had two good looks out of the final four shots for USI, getting one blocked and the other saved by the Skyhawks' goalkeeper.
 
Ohlwein and sophomore midfielder Peyton Murphy (Bargersville, Indiana) had four shots each. Senior midfielder Paige Vanek (St. Charles, Missouri) had three attempts and two on goal. Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Anna Markland (Hoover, Alabama) totaled five saves between the posts.
 
On the season, freshman midfielder Pilar Torres (Chula Vista, California) leads Southern Indiana with three goals. Murphy has two goals and paces the team with 27 shots, which is tied for eighth in the Ohio Valley Conference. In goal, Markland has been sensational in the net. Markland is tied for second in the OVC with five shutouts. She is also third in the league with a 1.12 GAA and fourth with 62 saves.
 
Earlier this week, Markland and sophomore defender Charli Grafton (Sunriver, Oregon) were named OVC Goalkeeper of the Week and Defensive Player of the Week, respectively. For Markland, it is her third weekly accolade of the season while it is the second for Grafton.
 
Southeast Missouri is 6-5-3 this season with a 2-3-2 conference record. The Redhawks have dropped two straight 1-0 matches, including a home defeat on Sunday to league-leading Tennessee Tech University. After a scoreless first half, Tennessee Tech struck in the 56^th minute and held on the rest of the way.
 
SEMO is led this season by sophomore Cayla Koerner with four goals, three assists, and 11 points. Koerner is the reigning Forward of the Year and Freshman of the Year in the OVC. Following her All-OVC campaign in 2022 with another strong showing in 2023, Koerner is the top shot-taker for the Redhawks with 24 attempts this season. In goal, sophomore goalkeeper Sophia Elfrink has made 13 starts, posting a 1.01 GAA with 54 saves and six shutouts.
 
Sunday will be the second all-time meeting between USI and SEMO, as Southern Indiana will be looking for revenge after last season's first matchup in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. The two programs went back and forth scoreless for nearly the entire match until SEMO scored the game-winning goal with 14 seconds left.
 
Entering Thursday, the Screaming Eagles sit in a tie with Southern Illinois University Edwardsville for third in the Ohio Valley Conference standings at 12 points. An opportunity to host during the first weekend of the OVC Tournament or earn a double-bye into the semifinals is a possibility for USI. The Redhawks are sixth with eight points.
 
Thursday's match can be seen with a subscription to ESPN+. Additional coverage links are available on the USI Women's Soccer schedule page on usiscreamingeagles.com.