Box Score

CHARLESTON, Ill. – Jacksonville State could not continue its momentum from a Friday night Ohio Valley Conference win as the Gamecocks dropped a 2-0 Sunday decision to Eastern Illinois in OVC soccer action.

JSU wraps up the first weekend of conference play 1-1 after blanking SIU Edwardsville on Friday night. The Gamecocks fall to 2-10-0 on the season, while the Panthers of EIU notched their third win of the season and second-straight after topping Tennessee Tech in the OVC opener.

After a scoreless opening half, EIU netted the game's first goal two minutes deep into the final 45 minutes. EIU's Jessie Morgan forced Jax State goalkeeper Katelyn Geddings out of the box en route to feeding the ball to Brooke Sill for the goal in the 47th minute.

For the second-straight match, JSU was out-shot by a wide margin. The Panthers were credited with 23 shots on the afternoon, while Jax State's offense was held in check with just five shots in the match. Freshman Courtney Hurt was the lone Gamecock to have a shot on goal.

“We did well with our defensive shape, but we just did not come out with the same initiative to create and attack EIU that was expected,” said head coach Julie Davis Carlson. Our little offensive threat that we had in both halves were good, but we needed more and the players knew it.”

EIU added its second goal of the match that was aided by a JSU miscue. Emily Bielaga headed the ball into the Gamecocks goal in the 78th minute after a foul on the Red and White.

“I felt we got out-played and we weren't able to generate our own positive momentum. It's unfortunate and talking with the players, they knew it,” added Carlson.

After playing just three of its first nine matches of the season away from Jacksonville, the Gamecocks will open a five-match homestand on Friday, Sept. 30 as they host Morehead State in a 7 p.m. contest at the JSU Soccer Field. JSU will close out the home weekend with a Sunday affair with Eastern Kentucky at 2 p.m. Admission is free to all JSU soccer matches.