EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – SIUE women's soccer exploded for four goals Sunday and opened the Ohio Valley Conference regular season with a 4-2 victory over Eastern Illinois at Korte Stadium.
Playing as the 66ers, SIUE outshot the Panthers 16-12 led by eight shots from Claire Nieroda.
Nieroda scored her fifth and sixth goals of the season to power the offense. She scored at 29:45 on a penalty kick after an Eastern Illinois player was determined upon video review to have committed a handball in the box. Nieroda went left on EIU goalkeeper Ella Kratochvil.
SIUE made it 2-0 at 32:34 on a perfect double pass from Nieroda and Amanda Dean to Imogene Joseph. It was Joseph's first career goal.
The 66ers stepped up early in the second half. MaryClaire Imig made a move on her defender from 20 yards out and snuck the ball past the goalkeeper to make it 3-0.
Eastern Illinois, now 2-5-3 overall, captured its first goal of the game at 49:52 on a shot by Abby Reinl.
SIUE returned the favor by putting multiple players in the six-yard box as Nieroda snapped her second goal into the net on a side pass from Imig.
The Panthers added the final goal at 81:06 on a 25-yard pass from Amelia Mundo ahead to Amara Leppla for the score.
SIUE's Baylor Lynch earned her first collegiate victory in goal with three saves.
SIUE, 3-3-3, next faces Morehead State Oct. 4 in Morehead, Kentucky.
