EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women's Soccer continues its Ohio Valley Conference-opening road swing Sunday when the Screaming Eagles take on Tennessee Tech University at 1 p.m.
USI (1-5-4, 0-0-1) is seeking to continue its recent momentum that carried over from the end of the non-conference season into the start of conference play. The Screaming Eagles are 1-0-3 in the last four matches, including three straight draws during the four-match unbeaten streak.
Last time out, USI grabbed a point against the University of Arkansas at Little Rock to begin the conference slate, battling the Trojans to a scoreless draw. Defensive play and battle for possession stood out from the match. Each side tallied five shots and two shots on goal apiece.
Against Little Rock, sophomore midfielder Peyton Murphy (Bargersville, Indiana) led USI with two shots, while senior midfielder Paige Vanek (St. Charles, Missouri) and sophomore midfielder Emma Thurston (Leawood, Kansas) each registered a shot on target. Redshirt freshman keeper Anna Markland (Hoover, Alabama) made a pair of saves in her second career shutout.
On the season, freshman forward Pilar Torres (Chula Vista, California) paces Southern Indiana with a pair of goals while tying with Murphy for a team-best 13 shots. Torres and Murphy are tied for sixth in the OVC in shots. Between the posts, Markland is second in the OVC with a 1.14 GAA and fifth with 38 saves. Markland is also fourth in the OVC with two shutouts.
Markland is the two-time reigning OVC co-Goalkeeper of the Week, as her play in net during USI's four-game unbeaten streak was recognized across the conference. On Tuesday, she earned her second weekly accolade alongside sophomore centerback Charli Grafton (Sunriver, Oregon), who was named OVC co-Defensive Player of the Week for her performance against the University of Kansas City last week.
As a team, USI is first in the OVC with a 1.10 GAA and fifth with 85 shots. USI's two shutouts are fifth in the OVC while the team's 42 corner kicks are fourth.
Tennessee Tech (2-4-3, 1-0-0) was the projected favorite in the 2023 OVC Preseason Poll, claiming 12 first-place votes as the reigning regular-season champions. On Thursday, the Golden Eagles began their defense of the regular-season crown against Lindenwood University, capturing a 3-0 victory against the Lions. Following a scoreless first half, Tennessee Tech's offense came alive with three goals in the second half within a ten-minute span. Senior Bailey Taylor scored the first before senior Meredith Nye scored twice.
Taylor and freshman Neve Renwick lead the Golden Eagles with three goals this season. Taylor also has two assists toward a team-best eight points. Renwick is Tennessee Tech's top shot-taker with 25 shot attempts. In goal, junior Maggie Conrad has a 1.41 GAA and 50 saves in nine starts. Conrad has also been named an OVC co-Goalkeeper of the Week earlier this season. As a team, the Golden Eagles have 12 goals at a rate of 1.33 goals per game during the 2023 campaign. Tennessee Tech has a shot accuracy of 39.8 percent.
Sunday's match will be the second all-time meeting. Tennessee Tech visited Southern Indiana in 2022, claiming a 4-0 victory. The Golden Eagles scored three times after taking a 1-0 lead into halftime.
Sunday's contest can be seen with a subscription to ESPN+. Additional coverage links are on the USI Women's Soccer schedule page on usiscreamingeagles.com.
