FLORENCE, Ala. (October 16, 2025) – The University of North Alabama soccer team played Atlantic Sun Conference opponent Eastern Kentucky to a draw for the second time this season, tying the Colonels 1-1 Thursday night at the Cox Creek Sports Complex.
 
North Alabama (7-4-5, 3-2-3 ASUN) finished with 12 shots, led by forwards Lexi Vernsey and Meg Welsh with three each. Welsh opened the scoring in the 42nd minute for her third goal of the season, putting her second on the team behind captain Alice Bussey, who has four.
 
Eastern Kentucky (9-2-4, 4-1-2 ASUN) took 14 seconds to equalize the game in Florence. The Colonels had 16 shots as nine were blocked or pushed off target by the Lion defense.
 
The first meeting between these two came in 2021. This is now the fourth draw between the programs but the first with goals scored; the other three games were scoreless draws.
 
Defenders Adelyn Speight and Lilly Ford made key stops to shut down multiple EKU scoring chances. Avery Smith, Langley Wallace, Gracie Tyrell and Emerson Nieroda helped the Speight and Ford create the nine missed shots, as well.

Goalkeeper Madison Vukas had six saves for the game and the most important one coming in the 88th minute to thwart an Ella Grode goal to hold the draw.

Seven Lions created the 12 shots tonight from Bussey, Vernsey, Welsh, Ford, Tyrrell, Alana Owens and Olivia Heinert. Midfielders Maddie Reynolds and Molly Parham had a foot in the assist for Welsh's right-footed goal.

The first match between these two kept a quiet game for all 90 minutes, however the second one was determined to not stay the same.

Within the first four minutes of play, the Lions earned one of their five corner kicks. Forward Charlotte Sobotka served it into the sea of players and connected with a Lion for the goal. However, the whistle blew and the referee called a foul on the Lions for making contact with the EKU keeper that took her out of the play – goal wiped away.

Then the defenses started to settle in.

EKU started to go on the attack, but as mentioned, Speight and Ford were not allowing much by – leaving Vukas only three saves in the first half and a few Colonels frustrated that their shots were not getting through.
 
Welsh checked into the game in the 34th minute and the Lions began put pressure on the Colonel defense. Welsh took a shot in the 41st minute but it was blocked out of play leading to the third corner of the half.
 
Another substitution ensued. This time, Reynolds entered the game and immediately went to take the corner kick. She passed it in, but the Colonel defense stood tall pushing it back out of the box. However, captain Parham stood there with space around here.
 
She collected it and passed back to Reynolds, who sent it into the box. Welsh, marked tightly, fired a right-footed shot into the top right corner for the first goal.
 
The team corralled Welsh and celebrated as the Cox Creek Sports Complex roared for the freshman.
 
Then it all came to a halt within 14 seconds – EKU took the kickoff and passed it up to get the equalizer before the half could finish.
 
North Alabama had two major second-half opportunities. In one, Owens beat a defender one-on-one but sent her shot high.
 
The other came in the 81st minute from their fifth and final corner kick of the night. Speight put it in the box as Ford came crashing in for the header. She connected beautifully and looked to have the chance to get past the keeper before a Colonel stepped in front to clear it out of the box.
 
EKU made one last push and had the perfect shot to take home a game winning goal. The Colonels sprinted down the pitch with under two minutes remaining.
 
Ana Manning had a clear opening at Vukas and took her shot from outside of the box at the top right of the goal. Vukas went airborne to clear it, but it bounced off her hands out of bounds for a corner kick opportunity.
 
EKU's Ella Grode received the corner into the box and had another opportunity before it too was cleaned up by Vukas to end the game.
 
Twenty Lions saw the pitch tonight with three seeing full time in Ford, Speight and Vukas. Tyrrell earned 86 minutes for the next highest on the team with Parham having 46 out of the reserve spot.
 
Next up, North Alabama hosts Bellarmine at the Cox Creek Sports Complex on Sunday, Oct. 19 at 1 p.m. for the final home game of the season. This will be Senior Day for the Lions.

 For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.