EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women's Soccer's non-conference schedule continues back on the road Sunday when the Screaming Eagles face off against Eastern Kentucky University at Noon (CT) from Richmond, Kentucky. Sunday's match is the first of back-to-back road matches for USI.
 
Following a season-opening defeat at Arkansas State University last Sunday, Southern Indiana earned a 2-2 draw in its home opener on Thursday evening against Robert Morris University. USI scored two first-half goals by redshirt freshman forward Eva Boer (St. Charles, Illinois) and junior forward Payton Seymour (Louisville, Kentucky). Boer's first career goal came in the seventh minute while Seymour's first of 2024 came in the last 90 seconds of the opening half. Seymour led USI with four shots and two on goal in the contest. Junior defender Brynn Quick (Cottage Grove, Minnesota) also had two shots on frame. However, Robert Morris went on to score two unanswered goals in the second half to force the 2-2 tie.
 
The Screaming Eagles generated more offensive production against the Colonials compared to the first match of the season at Arkansas State. USI had 11 shots and four on goal in the season opener and increased those numbers to 19 shots and 10 on target in Thursday's home match against Robert Morris. The 10 shots on goal were the most for USI since August 2022 against Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.
 
Through two matches in 2024, Seymour leads USI with six shots, while five players have tallied two shots on goal. Sophomore midfielders Kerigan Kivisto (Collierville, Tennessee) and Pilar Torres (Chula Vista, California) and junior midfielder Peyton Murphy (Bargersville, Indiana) each have four shot attempts. In goal, redshirt sophomore keeper Anna Markland (Hoover, Alabama) has a 2.50 goals against average with nine saves.
 
Eastern Kentucky, projected to place fifth in the 2024 Atlantic Sun Conference Preseason Poll after a 5-8-6 overall record in 2023, is searching for its first result after a 0-3 start and consecutive setbacks by a one-goal differential. On Thursday, the Colonels fell 2-1 in the Bluegrass Cup battle against Morehead State University. Eastern Kentucky notched nine shots with three on goal while surrendering 20 shots and eight on target to Morehead State. EKU's only goal of the match came in the fifth minute by freshman forward Ana Manning. Morehead State answered in the 19^th minute, leading to a 1-1 tie at the break before the Eagles scored the game-winning goal in the 56^th minute.
 
This season, Manning has been the Colonels' top attacker with a team-high 10 shots and seven shots on goal. Fellow freshman forward Ella Grode has four shots this season. Between the posts, Eastern Kentucky has split time between goalkeepers. Senior Marah Krick has made two starts with a 3.33 GAA and nine saves. Freshman Ruby Morgan has a start under her belt against Morehead State and has posted a 1.33 GAA with eight total saves this season. The Colonels are averaging 8.7 shots per game and has placed nearly 54 percent of their shots on goal.
 
Sunday's game at Eastern Kentucky is the first all-time meeting between the two programs. Eastern Kentucky will be the third of three straight opponents to start the season that USI will face an opponent for the first time in program history.
 
Sunday'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.