August 26, 2003
USI women’s soccer takes to the road to open the 2003 season
The University of Southern Indiana women’s soccer team will take to the road to open the 2003 regular season, playing two matches in Wheeling, West Virginia, this weekend. The Screaming Eagles will start with Wheeling Jesuit University Friday, August 29, and conclude the season’s first road trip with a neutral-field match against Davis & Elkins College Sunday, August 31.
The Eagles are coming off of a successful and productive exhibition schedule, going 2-0 with a 19-0 victory over Oakland City University and a 10-1 victory over Spalding University. USI was led by freshman midfielder Rebecca Cripe (Argos, Indiana) with 17 points on six goals and five assists.
USI sophomore Alisann Shetler (Evansville, Indiana) and freshman Megan Williams (Mt. Vernon, Indiana) followed Cripe with 12 points each. Shetler, who is USI’s leading returning scorer from last year, and Williams recorded five goals and two assists each.
Wheeling Jesuit will be a tough match-up for the Eagles to open the 2003 seasons. WJU was 16-5-1 overall, was ranked in the NCAA Division II top 20, and made the programs first NCAA Division II Tournament appearance. This fall, the Cardinals are ranked 16th in the NSCAA Division II Preseason poll.
Created in 1999, the Davis & Elkins’ women’s soccer team is an even younger program than USI’s. Last season, the Senators finished near the top of the WVIAC with a 5-4 conference mark and posted an 8-10 overall record. Davis & Elkins also won its first post-season match in the history of the program last fall.
Following this weekend’s action, the Screaming Eagles will open the 2003 home schedule Tuesday, September 2, when they host McKendree College at Strassweg Field. Game time next Tuesday will be 5 p.m.
Ray Simmons, USI Sports Information
