West Central Reporter

Western Illinois University women's soccer team faced Morehead State in their first conference home match of the season, marking their first home game in 18 days. The Leathernecks recently began league play with a 1-0 loss at Lindenwood and aimed to change their fortunes in Thursday's match.

Morehead State capitalized on defensive errors to take a 1-0 lead in the first half and secured their victory with an 88th-minute goal, ending the game with a 2-0 scoreline. Freshman goalkeeper Ariel Bernard, who has performed well over her first six matches, started again and made four saves in the first half. Bernard faced 19 shots during the match as Western Illinois was out-shot 19-3. In her seven starts, she has faced no fewer than 16 shots per game.

The Eagles scored their first goal in the 25th minute and maintained possession for most of the match, frequently pressing into Western Illinois' defensive third. They also dominated corner kicks, winning 5-1. Morehead State added a second goal late in the second half shortly after Western Illinois missed a scoring opportunity.

The final score was 2-0, improving Morehead State's record to 2-0-0 while Western Illinois fell to 0-0-2 for the season.

Western Illinois Women's Soccer will next play against Southeast Missouri State on Sunday in Cape Girardeau.

For more information on Leatherneck Women's Soccer, visit GoLeathernecks.com or follow them on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook.