ST. CHARLES, Mo. – SIUE men's soccer's season came to a close Wednesday night as the fourth-seeded Cougars fell to No. 1 Lindenwood 2-0 in the semifinals of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament at Hunter Stadium.
The Lions scored twice in the first half and held on for the win, their second of the season against the Cougars.
SIUE finished its year at 6-11-2. Lindenwood improved to 14-2-3 and advances to the OVC Championship game Saturday night.
Ethan Blake put Lindenwood on top with his fifth goal of the season in the ninth minute. Blake's shot took a ricochet of the near post and then hit SIUE goalkeeper Noah Scheidweiler before crossing the goal line.
OVC Forward of the Year Luca Bartoni doubled the Lions' lead in the 36th minute with a right-footed blast from the top of the 18-yard box.
Elliott Forestier just missed getting SIUE on the board in the 57th minute when a cross came down at his feet after a header. His left-footed half volley just missed over the crossbar.
Scheidweiler finished with five saves.
The Cougars outshot Lindenwood 10-3 in the second half, but the Lions had the overall edge in total shots 17-15. The Cougars had just a single shot on goal.
