EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women's Soccer concluded its non-conference schedule with a tough 2-0 loss against Xavier University on Sunday at Strassweg Field.
Facing a Big East Conference team for the second straight match to wrap up the non-conference slate, USI Women's Soccer (1-7-3) went toe-to-toe with Xavier (6-2-0) and battled hard in what was a one-goal game for 70-plus minutes in the middle of the match.
USI totaled six shots in the contest, two on goal, with graduate forward
Payton Seymour leading the team with two attempts. Sophomore goalkeeper
Merrick Schwalbach matched her career high with six saves while facing 23 total shots and eight on goal from the Musketeers. Xavier also earned eight corner kicks.
Sunday's match kicked off earlier than usual at Strassweg Field to beat the extreme heat forecast for the afternoon. After kickoff, Xavier strung together a handful of shots in the early minutes, but USI's defense thwarted them. However, the Musketeers broke through to take a 1-0 lead in the 14
th minute on a rebound attempt. Schwalbach and the Screaming Eagles' defense made multiple stops in the rest of the first half to keep the deficit at 1-0 going into halftime.
Schwalbach and the USI defense were nails again to begin the second half, with multiple blocks and saves. The Screaming Eagles' offense got a pair of decent looks inside the box in the 60
th minute, with shots by Seymour and freshman midfielder
Shea Krakowski that were blocked as USI sought an equalizer. USI had another pair of chances later in the half, with shots by junior forward
Josie Pochocki and sophomore midfielder
Olivia Hass, but Xavier's sophomore goalkeeper Sami Lipcon saved them. Despite USI's push and efforts to find the equalizer, Xavier doubled its lead to 2-0 on a penalty kick in the 87
th minute.
Next up, following a week of recovery and preparation, the Screaming Eagles open Ohio Valley Conference play back at Strassweg Field next Sunday, September 27, at 1 p.m. against the University of Tennessee at Martin.