OXFORD, Ohio – High-scoring Miami (Ohio) became the first team to score multiple goals against Eastern Illinois women's soccer in a standard 90-minute game this season, finding the back of the net twice in the second half to defeat the Panthers, 2-0.

Miami (6-2) scored in the 50th and 80th minutes, recording at least two goals for the eighth consecutive game this year.

 

Sam Whitmore opened the scoring with her fourth goal of the year, beating the EIU defense with a shot inside the right post from the outer edge of the 18-yard box. Kayla Zakrzewski added the insurance score, her third goal of the year, when she poked the ball in from her knees after a scramble deep in the box.

 

“They certainly had a higher shot count but we played with them in the first half,” EIU head coach Summer Perala said. “In the second half, we couldn't string passes together effectively or execute our set pieces well enough to be dangerous. And we made two mental errors defensively. We're still lacking the ability to be dangerous around the box. Our services went over the goal and our runs were ineffective. They're a good athletic team that executed their system well. We competed more today than we did on Sunday (in a 1-0 home loss to UMKC), so that was good.”

Eastern goalkeeper Kaylin Lorbert matched her season high with seven saves, six coming in the second half.

The Panthers (3-5-1) were held without a corner kick opportunity for the first time since playing Iowa State to a draw at Lakeside Field last season. The RedHawks had five corners, including four in the second half.

Hillary Blake and Brenna Vogel, who made her first collegiate start, both went the distance among the EIU field players. Sarah Rusk logged a season-high 62 minutes to lead the reserves.

Eastern is now 0-6-1 in its last seven games away from Charleston dating back to the end of the 2009 campaign. Three of those six losses have come in overtime. Today's game was the opener of EIU's six-game road stretch.

 

The Panthers return to action Sunday at Western Illinois. Perala will return to her alma mater for the first time as a collegiate head coach. Kickoff in Macomb is slated for noon.