SAN ANTONIO – University of Southern Indiana Men's Soccer fell to the University of the Incarnate Word 4-2 Sunday in San Antonio, Texas, after the Screaming Eagles saw the Cardinals rally in the second half off three penalty-kick goals.
USI (1-7-4, 1-3-1 OVC) got off to a fast start and built a two-goal lead in the first 20 minutes of the first half, but UIW (3-6-2, 2-2-1 OVC) charged back behind a hat trick from junior forward Diego Robles on a trio of penalty kicks in the second half.
The Screaming Eagles' quick start came on the heels of sophomore midfielder Tony Murphy scoring his first goal of the season on a shot from the penalty arc in the ninth minute. Sophomore midfielder Edin Cvorovic assisted on the first goal before scoring his third of the season 10 minutes later on a long-range shot in the 19th minute, pushing USI's lead to 2-0. Sophomore midfielder Jimmy Murphy added an assist to Cvorovic's goal, bringing his season total to three.
The Murphy brothers have combined for two goals and seven assists this season.
The Cardinals responded in the 28th minute to cut the deficit to 2-1. Senior goalkeeper Kael McGowan made one final save to preserve USI's one-goal advantage heading into halftime.
Incarnate Word opened the second half with a penalty-kick goal in the 55th minute. The Screaming Eagles added four shots but were unable to regain the lead. In the 75th minute, the Cardinals added another goal from the penalty spot to take a 3-2 lead over USI. UIW's Robles secured the hat trick in the 84th minute with his third penalty-kick goal of the match. The Screaming Eagles could not climb back with only one shot in the final minutes of the contest.
Next, USI Men's Soccer returns to Strassweg Field for the first time since October 1 to begin a three-match homestand Thursday at 5 p.m. against OVC newcomer University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
Team coverage for Thursday's match will be available on X (@USIMSOC) and Instagram (@usi_msoc). Live stats and ESPN+ coverage can be accessed at USIScreamingEagles.com
