By: Luke Rinne, Assistant Sports Information Director
Box Score
(Evansville, Ind.) – Missouri S&T's shot at the Great Lakes Valley Conference playoffs took a hit on Friday evening in a
1-0 loss at Southern Indiana. The Lady Miners were a half game behind the Screaming Eagles for the eighth and final spot entering play on Friday evening.
USI (6-6-2, 5-4-1 GLVC) had the game's first opportunity in the fourth minute on Meagan Kempf's shot but was turned by Catherine Swift (Eureka, Mo./Eureka). S&T (4-6-1, 4-5 GLVC) had a couple of attempts early as well with Melia Miller (Richardson, Texas/J.J. Pearce) getting off a pair of shots one which was blocked and the other went wide in the 10th and 12th minutes.
The Screaming Eagles put some pressure on the Lady Miner end getting off three shots in about a 10 minute span all of which were wide of the goal. S&T had its chances as well when Miller got off a shot in the 25th minute that went wide and Leah Williams (Lawrence, Kan./Free State) followed that shot with another wide one nearly nine minutes later.
The Lady Miners had a golden opportunity in the 42nd minute off a corner kick but Rachel Moore (Rolla, Mo./Rolla)'s attempt was turned away by Stephanie Bodamer. Southern Indiana was able to take advantage on rush the other way when Susan Ellspearman scored an unassisted goal just 0:19 later then they nearly made it 2-0 almost two minutes later but Swift made the save keeping it 1-0 heading into the intermission.
Each side had six shots in the opening frame but the Screaming Eagles put three on goal to just one for S&T.
The Lady Miners had a chance to tie the game early in the second half but Shelly Ekholm (Houston, Texas/Cy Springs)'s shot was blocked a little over a minute in. They kept the pressure on when Ekholm had a shot go wide in the 47th minute then Brooke Ryan (Olathe, Kan./Olathe East) had a shot on goal in the 52nd minute that was turned away.
Morgan Lockowitz (Trenton, Ill./Wesclin ) had a pair of shots about five minutes apart but was unable to put one past the keeper. Kelsey Kurilla (Edwardsville, Ill./Edwardsville) kept the Lady Miners in the contest making three saves to keep it 1-0. S&T had its chances in the final 20 minutes getting off four shots including two on goal but were still unable to find the back of the net. Ekholm's shot with 3:15 left in the contest was its last of the contest.
The Lady Miners doubled up the Screaming Eagles in shots in the second stanza 10-5 and 4-3 in shots on goal. S&T finished the contest outshooting USI by a 16-11 count. Miller finished the contest with five shots to lead the Lady Miners while Ryan and Ekholm had three apiece. Two of Ryan's three shots were on goal.
S&T returns to action on Sunday afternoon when it takes on Kentucky Wesleyan beginning at 12 noon in Owensboro, Ky.
