OWINGS MILLS, Md. – Eastern University Women's Soccer picked up a big three points and an important tiebreaker in the MAC Commonwealth standings with a 1-0 league win at Stevenson University. Mia Zucker scored the only goal of the match to pick up her second game-winning goal of the year.

In a first half played primarily in the midfield, the Eagles capitalized on a long-range restart in the 26th minute. On an Eastern throw, Emma Bennett drew the foul on the right flank. Olivia Nicholson delivered a strong cross to the back post where Paige Snell won the battle with a header. She redirected it back toward the near post and Zucker tapped home her seventh of the year. The Eagles won a 1-0 decision against Hood on Saturday with a first-half restart goal as the difference.

The Eastern back row kept the Mustangs on the perimeter for much of the rest of the game. Faith Leake was credited with five saves in the match, but her best work came in making catches on a couple Stevenson corners in the second half. The vast majority of the Mustang shots came on hopeful efforts from long range. While many missed by quite a bit, Leake made comfortable grabs on the ones that were on goal.

Up a goal, the Eagles (9-5-3, 2-2) did not need a second, but they also did not have a ton of chances. Billinda Leisner created a few good chances with aggressive runs that turned into restarts. On the most dangerous of those, Steven son goalkeeper Alison Halstead stopped a 25-yard Nicole Eveland free kick headed for a top corner.

The Mustangs (4-7-4, 2-1-1) pushed into threatening territory in the final minutes, but the Eagles put numbers behind the ball and cleared their zone well. Leisner won an impressive defensive header to clear the zone on one effort and Ella Sedor ran down a Stevenson attacker 25 yards out in the final ninety seconds.

In 2023, Eastern beat Stevenson 1-0 as well. 

The win moves the Eagles into a tie with Widener for the fourth spot in league standings with six points. Stevenson came into the day with seven points through three league matches, but the Mustangs still have York and Messiah on their schedule.

The nine wins for the Eagles are the most for the program since the team went 10-6-4 in 2012. The Eagles are at Alvernia University this Saturday.