MURRAY, Ky.  -  The Racers started off blazing hot on Thursday afternoon, netting three goals in the span of less than 10 minutes to hand the Cougars their second Ohio Valley Conference loss of the season. 

The match started off at a breakneck pace, as the hosts netted a trio of goals in the match's opening half-hour to mount an early 3-0 lead; however, Lily Schnieders would pull one back for the Cougars in the 26th minute, neatly slotting the ball past both a Racer defender and the goalkeeper. 15 minutes of back-and-forth action ensued before the official blew the halftime whistle. Just two minutes after the start of the second half, Maria Haro netted her fourth of the season to pull the Cougars to within one of the hosts. The 3-2 scoreline would hold through the final whistle, giving the reigning OVC regular season champions their third conference win of the 2021 campaign.

"Proud of an improved performance today," said SIUE Head Coach Derek Burton following the match. "We really came out strong and very urgent. We had a number of really good performances. One of those games that set pieces did us in unfortunately. With a positive approach moving forward and we can still get what we want from the regular season."

Bella Henderson started the match and played between the sticks for the first 45 minutes, recording three saves before Jensen Schoch took the pitch for the final 45. Schnieders and Kaitlyn Nichols led SIUE with three shots each, followed by two from Andrea Frerker. As a team, the Cougars registered 10 shots while allowing 12. SIUE led the way in corner kicks taken, leading in that category, 10-4.

The Cougars, who fall to 5-6 overall and 2-2 in OVC play, will return to Korte Stadium for a Sunday afternoon fixture against the Austin Peay Governors. Kickoff at Korte is scheduled for 2 p.m., and tickets will be available both online and at the gate.