The Eastern Illinois men's soccer team fell 2-1 to Lindenwood on Friday afternoon at Harlen C. Hunter Stadium. The Panthers battled back to even the score in the first half but were unable to overcome a second-half goal by the Lions.
Lindenwood (7-3-6, 4-1-3 OVC) opened the scoring in the 21st minute when Thato Lekgetho found the back of the net off an assist from Milton Kapaya to give the Lions a 1-0 advantage.
Eastern Illinois (4-8-3, 3-4-1 OVC) responded in the 27th minute as Miguel D'Amico converted a penalty kick to tie the match at 1-1. The goal marked D'Amico's first of the season and brought the Panthers back into the contest.
The teams entered halftime tied, with Eastern Illinois holding a 9-2 advantage in shots and a 5-0 edge in corner kicks. The Panthers put five shots on target in the opening half, forcing Lindenwood goalkeeper Quinn Closson to make four saves.
Lindenwood regained the lead in the 71st minute when Luca Bartoni scored his sixth goal of the season off an assist from Leland Gray. The goal proved to be the difference as the Lions held on for the 2-1 victory.
Eastern Illinois continued to apply pressure in the second half, finishing with 16 shots and five shots on goal. Keidin Green led the Panthers with three shots, including one on target, while D'Amico recorded three shots and scored the team's lone goal. Sergej Misic added two shots, including one on goal.
Goalkeeper Kai Odagiri played all 90 minutes for Eastern Illinois, recording two saves. Closson finished with four saves for Lindenwood to help secure the win.
The Panthers finished with a 16-12 advantage in total shots and a 6-5 edge in corner kicks, but Lindenwood capitalized on its second-half opportunity to earn the conference victory.
Eastern Illinois will look to bounce back in its next Ohio Valley Conference matchup as they will return home to Lakeside Field to face USI October 29.Â
