The Eastern Illinois men's soccer team earned a 1-1 draw against UT Rio Grande Valley on Sunday, Oct. 11, at the UTRGV Soccer and Track & Field Complex. The Panthers moved to 3-6-3 overall and 2-2-1 in Ohio Valley Conference play, while the Vaqueros finished the match at 2-4-3 overall and 0-2-2 in conference action.
After a scoreless first half, UTRGV broke through in the 48th minute when Emmanuel Gore Bi scored off assists from Sammy Jadid and Mouhamed Pouye to give the Vaqueros a 1-0 advantage.
The Panthers responded just over five minutes later. In the 54th minute, senior forward Sergej Misic found the back of the net for his seventh goal of the season, leveling the match at 1-1. Misic's goal continued his productive offensive campaign and helped Eastern Illinois secure a point on the road.
Eastern Illinois generated several scoring opportunities throughout the contest, outshooting UTRGV 15-11 and recording six shots on goal compared to five for the Vaqueros. The Panthers also held an advantage in corner kicks, earning eight to UTRGV's three.
Misic led the Panthers offensively with six shots, including three on goal, and scored the team's lone goal. Marcos Ayelo added three shots, with two on target, while Keidin Green also recorded three shots.
In goal, Kai Odagiri played all 90 minutes for Eastern Illinois, finishing with three saves as the Panthers held UTRGV to one goal. Vaqueros goalkeeper Conrad Knight recorded five saves.
The match featured physical play from both sides, with Eastern Illinois committing 10 fouls and UTRGV recording 15. The Panthers also recorded two offsides, while the Vaqueros were flagged once.
Eastern Illinois will look to build on Sunday's result as the Panthers continue their OVC schedule.
Eastern Illinois returns to action at Lakeside Field as they will play Incarnate Word on October 15th and then continue its home weekend on October 18th as they will play Houston Christian.Â
