Georgia Southern Women’s Soccer kicked off the 2015 season with a home opener against Jacksonville University on Friday and a trip to Knoxville to face Tennessee on Sunday.

Game One (2-2)

Junior Melinda Lukas scored a goal just 2 minutes into the game off an assist from Sophomore Paige Hoover, giving the Eagles a 1-0 lead.

Holding onto the early lead, the Eagles continued their hard-hitting style of play throughout the first half and would strike at every chance they had. In the 22nd minute, senior Katey Lippett scored a goal with the assist from Hoover and senior Nora El-Shami, which extended their lead to 2-0.

Jacksonville got on the board with a goal from Marie Weckhurst in the 36th minute. In the 58th minute, Jacksonville struck again on a Lindsay Forrest goal with an assist from Weckhurst to tie the game.

The game remained tied through the end of regulation and went into two 10-minute overtime periods.

The Eagles picked up the aggressiveness they had in the first half throughout both overtime periods. They ended the game with 13 total shots attempted, but were not able to score a goal in overtime.

Although they did not get the win, Eagles Head Coach Brian Dunleavy says that his team put up a great effort in Friday’s game.

“The things that I am happy with are the intensity in which we played and the overall way that we possessed the ball,” he said.

Game 2 (L 0-2)

The Eagles were defeated by The University of Tennessee Volunteers 2-0 on Sunday.

Tennessee scored in the 10th minute of play with a goal by Anna McClung. The Eagles had 9 shot attempts and fought hard to tie the game, but a goal by Tennessee’s Amy Neal in the 89th minute of play, with the assist by McClung and Anna Bialczak, secured the victory for the Volunteers.

The Eagles (0-1-1) play their next two games on the road against Coastal Carolina (1-1-0) on August 28 and Charlotte University (1-0-0) on August 30.