JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville State soccer team posted a season-best 27 shots and scored on the final attempt to preserve the first Ohio Valley Conference win of the season with a 1-0 decision over Eastern Illinois at the JSU Soccer Field on Friday.

Playing on its home turf for the first time in the last five outings, the Gamecocks moved to 4-7-1 overall and improved to 1-2 in OVC play.  The Panthers, coming off a win last Sunday against UT Martin, fell to 4-7-1 on the season and 1-2 in the league.

After being limited in shots last weekend at Tennessee Tech and Eastern Kentucky, Jax State pressured EIU the full time from an offensive standpoint and limited the opposition to six total shots, including just two in the first 45 minutes.  JSU was credited with 18 of the 27 shots in the first half.  The Gamecocks had eight on goal scoring opportunities before finally getting the ball in the back of the net in the 74^th minute.

The 27 shots by JSU ties for the most by an OVC team this season.  Murray State collected the amount against Arkansas State in early September.  It marks the second time this season that JSU has produced 20 or more shots in a match as it posted 22 at The Citadel.

For the second straight Friday, it was freshman Cheyenne Carden with the scoring play.  Last Friday at Tech, the Huntsville, Alabama native tallied her first career goal.  Against EIU, it was fellow freshman Rachel Blanding that started the run as she served it across the box to Carden on the back side of the net. Sophomore Claire Petersen finished with four shot attempts, while three other Gamecocks had multiple shots.

The Gamecock defense was equally impressive as goal keeper Caroline Robinson posted her second shutout of the season and her 10^th of her career, which ranks her in a tie for third place all time at JSU with former JSU standout Katelyn Geddings (2009-12).  Robinson turned in a pair of saves, while EIU's Sara Tetak grabbed eight stops in the contest.

JSU cloes out the first OVC home weekend on Sunday, October 2, hosting SIU Edwardsville.  Match time is set for 1 p.m.  The Cougars were knocked off by Belmont on Friday, 1-0, in Nashville, Tennessee.  Sunday's match will be available on the OVC Digital Network and admission is free.

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