LOUISVILLE, Ky. --- The Bellarmine University women's soccer team took the first step in defending their Great Lakes Valley Conference Title on Sunday by dispatching the University of Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles in a first round game at Owsley B. Frazier Stadium.

Third-seeded Bellarmine will now march onto the quarterfinals on Friday, Nov. 2 in Quincy, Ill. to take on the tournament's No. 2 seed, the William Jewell Cardinals. Game time is TBD.

The Knights broke the scoreless tie in the 25th minute on senior Alex Kowalski's goal then tacked on an insurance goal from Chelsea McCarty at the 48:06 mark to beat the Screaming Eagles for the second time in a week. The two teams squared off last Sunday in Evansville, Ind. with BU coming away with a 2-1 victory.

A physical game that saw 22 fouls be called, the Screaming Eagles outshot the home standing Knights 18-15 and also held the advantage in corner kicks 8-2. But of those 18 shots only six were on frame with keeper Amy Kunowski stopping all of them to record yet another shutout victory, her tenth of the season to tie the single season record she already shares with Chelsea Smalley.

Bellarmine will now turn their focus to William Jewell after battling to a 1-1 tie with the Cardinals in the regular season. The Cardinals advanced after coming away with a 1-0 victory over Lewis on Sunday in Liberty, Mo.

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