Eureka Shuts Out Principia in First Half, Falls 3-0

EUREKA – The Eureka women's soccer team kept Principia off the board in the first half, but it couldn't hold off the Panthers in the second on Tuesday evening.

The visitors struck three times after the break to come away with a 3-0 victory over the Red Devils in a St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference clash at McKinzie Field.

Eureka goalkeeper Abby Swope (Canton, Ill./Canton) still had a stellar night in net, turning away 10 shots and making plenty of other crucial plays for the Red Devils.

Principia's Viviane DeCastro, Sophie Hill and Adriana Rucks all scored ten minutes apart in the second half.

In the 52nd minute, DeCastro received a pass Georgia Rather and unleashed a screamer from the top of the box that put the Panthers on the board.

In the 62nd minute, Rather laid one off to Hill, who found and an opening and scored from 20 yards out.

And, in the 72nd minute, Kaija Ufert lofted a ball into the box from 35 yards out and Rucks put her head on it off the bounce, just beating a charging Swope.

With leading scorer Madison Shines (Marengo, Ill./Marengo) and key midfielder Lindsey Johnston (Evansville, Ind./Harrison) out of the lineup due to injuries, the Red Devils leaned heavily on its back line.

Defenders Kayla Enochs (Greenfield, Ind./Central Greenfield), Michael Mall (Princeton, Ill./Princeton), Hope Binder (Bartonville, Ill./Limestone) and Emma Harris (Streator, Ill./Streator), along with holding midfielder Olivia Falls (Bloomington, Ill./Bloomington) worked well as a unit protecting Eureka's defensive third. Every Red Devil in uniform contributed.

Enochs also recorded the Red Devils' lone shot on goal of the match off a late free kick.

Eureka will next host Webster on Saturday at 3 p.m.