Last year, the Eastern Michigan University women’s soccer team did not lose a single match at home for the first time this century.
This year, however, the Eagles have now dropped back-to-back games at Scicluna Field to open the new campaign, falling to the University of Illinois Chicago by a score of 1-0 to slip to 0-2.
Eastern Michigan survived a barrage of early shots throughout the first half thanks to stellar goalkeeping from senior Ella Holland, racking up four saves in the opening 45 minutes.
Holland posted six saves total in the match, but it was the shot that she was unable to save from her own team that proved to be the Eagles’ undoing.
An own goal from the green and white in the 66th minute proved to be the difference between a win and a loss for the Eagles, the only goal of the game for either team.
Despite this, Eastern Michigan Head Coach Taylor Clarke still holds faith in his team to bounce back after two straight season opening losses.
“It’s coming down to the mentality for us right now, and I think once we fix that, things can change really quickly for this group,” he said.
The Eagles have also struggled on offense to open 2025. They have not scored a single goal in either of the first two games after scoring four during the same span last year.
Clarke believes some tweaks in the framework of Eastern Michigan’s offensive attack may lead to more success getting the ball to the back of the net for the remainder of the campaign.
“I don’t think we’re creating enough chances right now,” he said. “[We’re] not connecting in the right moments to create higher percentage chances."
With the win, UIC moves to 1-2 on the new season while Eastern Michigan falls to 0-2 for the first time in the Clarke era.
Next, Eastern Michigan has a road trip on the docket. The Eagles will return to action in Evansville, Indiana on Thursday, Aug. 28 to take on the University of Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles at 1 p.m.
