Oct. 12, 2003
Box Score
CHARLESTON, Ill. -
Trisha Walter scored two goals including the game winner as Eastern Illinois handed Samford its first Ohio Valley Conference loss and moved one point ahead of the Bulldogs into first place in the conference with a 3-1 soccer victory Sunday afternoon.
Eastern Illinois (7-4-3, 3-0-1 OVC) scored all three goals in a nine minute stretch to begin the second half. In the 50th minute Beth Liesen, the OVC leader in goals, was sent in on a breakway with a through ball by Teri LaRoache. It was Liesen's 11th of the season.
In the 57th minute Walter received a pass from Liesen and put a ball just under the crossbar to put the Panthers up 2-0. Two minutes later, in the 59th minute it was Walter and Liesen again combining on a give and go to put EIU up 3-0. The two goals for Walter were her second and third of the season.
Samford (7-3-3, 3-1-0 OVC) avoided the shutout in the 75th minute, Lindsay Shanks got behind the EIU defense on an unassisted breakaway to score her fifth goal of the season and the 23rd of her career tying Mitzi Mahan (1997-2000) as the all-time leader in career goals.
"We didn't show a lot of character in the first half," said Samford head coach Todd Yelton. "In the second half we battled pretty evenly, the bottom line is they finished their chances and we didn't. We saw today that if we can't play a full 90 minutes we can't accomplish the goals that we have set for ourselves."
The loss drops Samford from first place in the OVC as the Bulldogs find themselves one point behind the Panthers in the conference standings. Eastern Illinois held a 14-9 advantage in shots holding the Bulldogs without a shot in the first half. The Bulldogs however out-shot EIU 9-8 in the second half and held a 6-1 advantage in corner kicks in the second period.
Samford goalkeeper Crystal Royall made five saves while EIU's Tiffany Groene made two saves for the Panthers.
Samford will return home on Friday night to face Austin Peay in an OVC battle at Bulldog Field. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
