EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women's Soccer heads back on the road for an Ohio Valley Conference showdown Thursday against Tennessee Tech University at 7 p.m.
 
Thursday's match can be seen with a subscription to ESPN+.
 
USI Women's Soccer (6-5-4, 3-0-3 OVC) enters Thursday's action in a three-way tie for second in the Ohio Valley Conference standings with 12 points alongside Tennessee Tech (3-6-7, 3-0-3 OVC) and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
 
Tennessee Tech has held the upper hand in the first three all-time meetings against USI, winning each of the last three seasons by a multiple-goal differential. Last season, the Golden Eagles won 4-1 at USI.
 
The Screaming Eagles have already clinched their berth in the OVC postseason tournament with three regular-season games to go. USI clinched its spot in the OVC Tournament for the fourth consecutive season last Sunday following a 1-0 win against Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The win against the Cougars also gave USI its most wins in a season since moving to Division I in 2022. The 1-0 victory, USI's sixth straight OVC result, added to a program-best start to OVC play since joining the conference in 2022 and extended the Eagles' unbeaten streak to 10 matches.
 
USI has gone 6-0-4 in its last 10 matches, claiming six victories at home with four draws on the road. The current streak is a program best since 1998, when USI went unbeaten in 12 consecutive matches – a program record – and saw the team start the season 11-0-1 and finish 18-3-1 toward an NCAA II Tournament quarterfinals appearance. During the current streak, USI has outscored the opposition 16-4.
 
Last Sunday, the Screaming Eagles topped the SIUE Cougars after senior forward Emerson Grafton scored the game-winning goal in the 81^st minute for her team-best fourth goal of the season. It was Grafton's third game-winner on the year, a team best since 2021. Grafton scored the goal on a diving header off a double-assist by sophomore forward Josie Pochocki and redshirt junior midfielder Emma Thurston. USI outshot SIUE 16-6 overall and 4-2 in shots on goal.
 
Grafton's goal on Sunday was the 20^th of the season by the Screaming Eagles. The 20 goals tie USI's best team total in a season during the program's D-I era, as the Eagles netted 20 just last season in 2024. USI has scored a goal in five consecutive games entering Thursday.
 
As a team, USI ranks third in the OVC with goals and 58 points on the season. USI is tied for first in the conference with 18 assists. USI is also third with 188 shots and 12.5 shots per game.
 
Individually, Grafton paces the Screaming Eagles with 11 points off a team-high four goals and three assists. Grafton is in the top 10 in the OVC in shots (31), goals (4), assists (3), game-winning goals (3), and points (11). Senior forward Peyton Murphy is second on the team with nine points off three goals and three assists. Redshirt sophomore forward Eva Boer and Pochocki also have three goals this season. Redshirt junior goalkeeper Anna Markland has a 1.23 GAA with 40 saves and six shutouts, which is third in the OVC.
 
Tennessee Tech has won three of its last four matches heading into Thursday's kickoff. The Golden Eagles have outscored their opposition 15-4 in the last four games. Tennessee Tech is second in the OVC in goals (21) and tied for first with USI in assists (18).
 
Last time out, Tennessee Tech earned a 1-1 draw against the University of Tennessee at Martin. Following a scoreless first half, the Skyhawks took a 1-0 advantage just over four minutes into the second half. The Golden Eagles equalized the match with a goal in the final 90 seconds. Tennessee Tech outshot UT Martin 18-8. Each team had eight shots on goal.
 
Sophomore forward Natalie Howard has led the Golden Eagles' attack this season with 12 points off a team-high five goals and a pair of assists. Graduate midfielder Lucia Cuadra, who leads the squad with 26 shots, has 11 points off four goals and three assists. Senior forward Katie Toney, who scored the tying goal on Sunday against UT Martin, has three goals alongside redshirt junior midfielder Allison Lee. Senior goalkeeper Maggie Conrad has a 1.57 GAA with 69 saves and two shutouts in 16 starts.
 
After Thursday's road match, USI Women's Soccer closes out its regular-season home schedule on Sunday at 1 p.m. against Lindenwood University. Sunday will be USI's cancer awareness game at Strassweg Field, as fans are encouraged to join the team in wearing pink to help spread awareness in the fight against cancer.