EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – In a game which featured 42 total shots, three lead changes and three penalty kick, SIUE and Eastern Illinois battled to a 3-3 draw Sunday on the final day of the Ohio Valley Conference regular season.
SIUE finished the regular season at 7-7-3 overall and 5-3-2 in the OVC. The Cougars finished tied for second in the league and will take the No. 2 into the OVC Championship. SIUE will get a bye to the semifinals and will play Wed, Nov. 11 in a 7 p.m. game at Lindenwood.
The Panthers finished the season at 4-9-4 overall and 3-5-2 in the league.
Eastern Illinois opened the scoring when Miguel D'Amico converted a penalty kick in the 20th minute.
Archie McDonnell equalized for SIUE following a free kick in the 25th minute. Grant Locker put the kick on goal, and it was knocked down by EIU goalkeeper Kai Odagiri. McDonnell pounced on the rebound for his third goal of the year.
The Cougars took the lead just over three minutes later on a corner kick. Elliott Forestier played the kick to the back post where it was initially headed on by Ben Perkins before it pinballed off the head of Amos Boum Nlend for the goal.
Eastern Illinois tied the score with another penalty kick converted by D'Amico in the 36th minute. Keiden Green then put the Panthers ahead with less than a minute to play in the half to make it 3-2.
SIUE was awarded a penalty in the 55th minute and Dominic Bartoni converted to tie the score again.
Eastern Illinois unleased 26 total shots in the game and put 14 on target. Both totals were season highs for an SIUE opponent.
Cougar goalkeeper Louis Krueger made 11 saves-the most by an SIUE goalkeeper since 2019.
SIUE racked up 16 shots of their own, while five were on goal. Boum Nlend finished with a team-high three shots.
Prior to the game, SIUE recognized seniors Colin Bastianoni, Bobby Pauly and Forestier along with student manager, and former player, Sander Heieren.
