CHARLESTON, Ill. – Jacksonville State freshman Cynthia Bagozzi turned in her team-best fourth goal of the season, but it wasn't enough for the Gamecocks in a 3-1 loss to Eastern Illinois in Ohio Valley Conference soccer action on Friday afternoon.

The Panthers picked up their first conference win of the season and second overall, while JSU fell to 3-9 overall and 0-4 in the OVC.  JSU will wrap up the weekend on Sunday with a stop in Nashville, Tennessee against Belmont.  Match time is set for 2 p.m. and it will also be available on ESPN+, the online streaming platform of ESPN.

Bagozzi, from Orlando, Florida, sliced EIU's 2-0 second half lead with a goal in the 57th minute, moments after the Panthers had extended the lead.  She now has nine points on the season.  JSU's goal was helped by senior Emma Meadows, who Bagozzi shared the team lead in goals-scored prior to the goal on Friday. Meadows posted her first assist of the season and seventh point on the year.

"Cynthia Bagozzi worked tirelessly the entire match and deserved her goal and was unlucky when she hit the crossbar," said head coach Neil Macdonald.

The Gamecocks looked like they were to draw level with EIU at 2-all with a great look by Bagozzi that hit the crossbar.  JSU, who had seven total shots, posted five of them in the second half.  She collected three shots on the afternoon.

EIU put the first goal on the board in the 18th minute with a scoring play from Lindsey Carlson and would take that lead into the halftime break.  The Panthers pushed the lead to 2-0 with Haylee Renick's goal.  EIU added an insurance goal with just under nine minutes left in the contest with a JSU own goal.

"I thought we played really well and we had a lot of young players stepping up for us," added Macdonald.  In our back row, we had three freshmen back there.  I think Brianna Eads and Anna Luque did a great job leading the back four and did not look like freshmen."