The women’s soccer team kicked off their home opener to an energetic crowd of 262 Thursday night at Strassweg Field. In this matchup, they hosted Robert Morris University of the Horizon League. Coming into the match, the Robert Morris Colonials had single-handedly beaten Le Moyne College by a score of 5 to 0, a likely tune-up matchup.

The Screaming Eagles had lost their road opener to Arkansas State by a score of 0 to 3, which certainly fueled their ambition for this home opener. In the matchup against Arkansas State, USI lacked the ambition and accountability to meet the level of their opponent. They were awarded only one corner while committing 12 fouls, which was a definite result of frustration. Simply put, the team had to be better for the home opener.

The conditions for this match were near perfect. The temperature at kickoff was ideal, warm, but not scorching, as next week’s forecast is projecting. The sky was cloudy, so the audience and players alike would not be forced to face the sun’s wrath.

At kickoff, the Screaming Eagles looked composed and expressed a certain swagger in their fresh and clean home jerseys. This led into the game, as they came out the gate with the aggressiveness they lacked in the previous match.

Robert Morris began the game in a 4-3-3 formation, which USI reciprocated, with the exception of a fifth defender that connected the midfield to the defensive line. The Screaming Eagles pressed the Robert Morris defenders early and often, forcing them to move the ball around, and searched for a weakness among the back-line and the midfield. This is a common practice in the soccer world, used especially by English Premier League Manager Mikel Arteta of Arsenal F.C. This practice is best utilized by attacking players skilled in the art of defending, which the Screaming Eagles certainly are. The only trade-off is that this practice obviously exerts a lot of energy, which can have consequences down the line, both in the match and later in the season.

Using a heavy press allowed USI to force turnovers early, which ultimately led to an early successful goal at 6:53 by Eva Boer, a redshirt freshman forward. This goal was made possible by the pressing actions of Kerigan Kivisto, sophomore midfielder, and Pilar Torres, sophomore midfielder.

As the game progressed, USI’s aggression continued, as they continued to fight for scoring opportunities through the use of corners and controlling possession of the ball. A second goal was imminent, which came to fruition as Payton Seymour, junior forward, put one into the net at 43:25, at the tail end of the first half. The Screaming Eagles led by a score of 2 to 0 going into halftime.

To begin the second half, the thought roaming around in my head was, “2-Nil, most dangerous lead in soccer.” This concept is a cliché, but true in many circumstances, as the team leading by two goals at half gets too comfortable and allows the opponent to fight back into the game. In his book “Art of War,” one of ancient Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu’s most crucial rules is Number 23 of the Laying Plans chapter: “If he is taking his ease, give him no rest. If his forces are united, separate them.” If your opponent shows a weakness, you must utilize it because, ultimately, they’d do the same if they were in your shoes.

The Colonials unsurprisingly came out with more class and aggression, showing that they weren’t going to fold easily. Despite this newfound energy and aggression, the Screaming Eagles matched the aggression to a point where both teams were committing chip shots, reminiscent of a boxing match. However, Robert Morris grabbed onto more momentum as Paloma Swankler, junior forward, put one into the back net after much-needed substitutions by both sides at 64:38, cutting the deficit to a mere one goal.

After this goal, USI seemed a bit shell-shocked but continued to fight, led by the impressive aggression of Greta Ohlwein, sophomore forward. Ohlwein really stood out from a defensive standpoint, as she consistently stepped up when defending the opposing wide-attackers. Her aggressiveness was needed, as USI’s energy seemed to begin depleting at the latter stage of the match. She’s definitely one to watch as the season continues.

When defending corners, it’s tough, as the chaos of this set piece makes an all-hands-on-deck approach a near-necessity. To USI’s credit, the backline and midfield held up against corners for almost the entirety of the match. At 82:16, USI’s aggression began to turn into recklessness, as Eva Boer was given a yellow card for a foul. It was a foul, no doubt, but a yellow card was simply the wrong decision, but excuses are just that. However, this foul forced Boer to be somewhat cautious in defending, as losing a player on the pitch would last for the rest of the match.

This fear did not come into play, but my other fear did, as Robert Morris’ Haleigh Finale, graduate forward, sent the ball into the goal. This goal, at 83:59, was a result of miscommunication between USI’s Anna Markland, redshirt sophomore goalkeeper, and the defensive backline. The Screaming Eagles, at this point, looked gassed and out of defensive shape, as the Colonials had clawed and scratched back into this one and forced some serious scoring opportunities even after tying the game up with minutes to spare. However, USI held on and continued to play, leading to an ultimate draw in the match.

Final Score: USI 2, Robert Morris 2

This is what many in the European football world call a “dropped point,” because, in reality, it was. USI played with great aggression and pressure, deserving a win, but ultimately let up at the worst possible time. Considering that it’s still early, there isn’t any real cause for concern after this one, as learning to close an opponent out is truly one of the toughest challenges, not only in athletics but in the game of life as well.

That said, this is a much better result than the road opener against Arkansas State, as this showed that the women’s soccer team has serious ambition and energy to stand up to a tough-minded opponent. If the Screaming Eagles can play to the energy of the crowd and continue to build a hard-working mentality, USI can have a successful season and exceed the expectations of fans and opponents alike.