The UIS women's soccer team suffered a 2-0 defeat to the No. 12-ranked Maryville Saints on Sunday afternoon, bringing their record to 5-6-3 overall and 5-5-1 in conference play. The Prairie Stars remain in the top eight in the league standings following Sunday's game, with three regular season matches still to play.
"Credit to Maryville as they put a full 90 minutes on the field today," said coach Scott Myers. "I thought we created chances and frustrated them in the first half, but we couldn't sustain that in the second half. Having the penalty called against us was a bit defeating and didn't allow us to get our feet under us. I'm really proud of our fight, but we need to regroup and focus for the remainder of the GLVC season to get ourselves back to the tournament."
Game Summary
- The Prairie Stars came out strong, showcasing their ability to compete with the Saints from the start. Carolyne Mathenia had two shots blocked in the opening minutes, and UIS made their presence felt by earning a corner kick
- Maryville's Lexi Gentry tested UIS goalkeeper Allison Mirimanian with a low shot that was saved at the nine-minute mark. Shortly after, Elsa Nilson-Hurtig's attempt was also denied, prompting UIS to dial in on their defensive effort
- Maryville continued to threaten, with Sara Lawler having a shot saved and Ulrika Bredin striking the crossbar midway through the half
- By the 31-minute mark, both teams made several substitutions to energize their lineups. Despite multiple attempts from each side, the half concluded scoreless. The match remained tightly contested, with both defenses standing firm as they headed into halftime
- In the early moments of the second half, Maryville appeared to take the lead when they headed the ball into the net, but the goal was disallowed due to an offsides call. This setback kept the match scoreless and allowed UIS to regain some momentum as they sought to capitalize on the opportunity
- Allison Mirimanian made her best save of the game with about 36 minutes on the clock, expertly swatting a high left shot away from the goal
- Maryville's Sara Lawler converted a penalty kick shortly after, giving the home team a 1-0 lead. UIS responded with several attempts to equalize, including a notable shot by Makenna Yeager that was saved by Maryville's goalkeeper
- Maryville maintained the pressure, and at the 64-minute mark, Lotte Brands scored with an assist from Tori Calvert, extending their lead to 2-0
- UIS recorded a total of 8 shots, but only 1 was on target, while Maryville dominated with 27 shots, 10 of which were on goal
- Mirimanian ended the game with 8 saves, demonstrating a great effort despite the defeat
Stats at a Glance
Maryville Goals: Lawler PK 55', Brands 64'
Shots: UIS 8 (1 on goal), Maryville 27 (10 on goal)
Saves: UIS 8 (Mirimanian), Maryville 1 (Vilen)
Corners: UIS 4, Maryville 8
Fouls: UIS 13, Maryville 8
Offsides: UIS 0, Maryville 2
Up Next
UIS will head on the road again next weekend for a single matchup against Indianapolis, scheduled for Friday night at 4 p.m. Central time (5 p.m. Eastern).
Around the GLVC
Lewis 2, Lincoln 1
Quincy 0, Drury 0
Upper Iowa 1, Missouri S&T 1
Maryville 2, Illinois Springfield 0
Missouri-St. Louis 1, Indianapolis 0
Southwest Baptist 1, Truman 0
Rockhurst 1, William Jewell 0