It was a huge afternoon for the Lindenwood men’s soccer team, as they improved to (6-4-1) and (2-1) in the OVC with a huge 6-0 win over Eastern Illinois.
It was an offensive showcase for the Lions, scoring six goals on 23 shots. Of the Lions 23 shots on Sunday, 11 of them were on goal. It marked the most shots on goal this season against a Division I opponent, as they did have 14 shots on goal against Westminster. Lindenwood’s defense blanketed Eastern Illinois’ forwards as the Panthers had just eight shots the entire game, with one of them landing on goal. Enzo Gil had only one save in a perfect performance by Lindenwood’s goalkeeper.
Ethan Blake only needed three minutes to score, as the Lions’ leading goal scorer this season put Lindenwood on the board. It was Blake’s fourth goal of the season. John Gates sent a nice pass into Blake who was able to put away the early score. Jozef Palushaj got his first goal in a Lion’s uniform in the 32nd minute, following a shot from Gates that hit off the crossbar. The ball found its way off the ricochet right to Paluhsaj who hammered it into the back of the net to double the Lion’s lead.
Lindenwood again scored quickly to open the second half. The first goal came off of a cross from the opposite corner from Jordan Matthews, and the ball found Jermaine Menentoor who got his second goal of the season. In the 63rd minute, Matthews would get his goal off an assist from Salomon Oniangue and Blake. That assist from Blake was his seventh on the season, putting him atop the OVC in that regard. Oniangue would get his own goal in the 71st minute off a pass from Matthews, who ran right alongside him down the left sideline before passing it off to the eventual scorer who would finish it into the back of the net. To cap off the Lion’s scoring outburst on the afternoon, Jens Haukeland also got his first goal of the season. The final goal came in the 88th minute off a pass from Anel Kafedzic. Overall, three different Lions would score their first goal of the season, and 14 Lions would attempt at least one shot.
It was a very nice, comfortable win for the Lions who now look towards their next matchup against the OVC-leading SIUE Cougars. The two teams met back on Sep. 28, in a game that saw the Cougars shut out the Lions 2-0. That shutout was the first time the Lions had been shut out this year. The game also featured the fastest goal the Lions have allowed this season, coming in the very first minute. The game will take place on Oct. 10, and will be followed up with another home date against Western Illinois on Oct. 13 to finish out a three-game homestand for the Lions.
