MOREHEAD, Ky. – Goals in each half, paired with a five-save performance from sophomore keeper Allie Lammers, helped the Morehead State Eagles secure their second win of the season, taking down Cleveland State 2-0 Sunday afternoon at MSU Soccer Field.

"Big time win," Morehead State Head Coach Paul Cox said. "We actually lost to them 3-0 last time and I think they're better this year, which ultimately says a lot about our growth."

Morehead State and Cleveland State kicked off shortly after 1:00 p.m. on a warm, sunny afternoon, providing the perfect setting for a match.

The competition was fierce from the opening whistle, with both teams battling evenly, as if a seesaw had lost its ability to tip from side to side.

Cleveland State senior Elise Boyd recorded the first shot of the game 21 minutes into play, but her attempt was saved by Lammers.

MSU made a couple of substitutions at the 22:16 mark of the first half, one of which brought sophomore Jade Walton onto the field. Walton quickly proved she was ready for the challenge, making an immediate impact for the Eagles.

Just 55 seconds after the substitution, Eagles senior Hannah Burke raced up the field and delivered a perfect pass to Walton, who found the back of the net to put the Eagles in front, 1-0. Junior Ashton Lynam was also credited with an assist after setting up Burke on the charge up the field.

Walton broke down the play that led to her goal.

"I feel like the intensity was already really high from the team, so coming off the bench, I knew I had to keep it," Walton said. "Seeing Hannah run down the line, I knew I had to run with her to have numbers in the box. She played a perfect ball across the six and I just tapped it in and scored."

"I had a chat with her Tuesday morning," Cox said. "I told her, 'Jade, you're going to score a big goal. I just don't know when that is.' Turns out, that was today. I'm really happy for her. She works her socks off for the team, and she fully deserves that goal."

Burke's eighth career assist, recorded 22 minutes and 47 seconds into the match, moved her into the top 10 in program history in assists as an Eagle.

"I'm really proud of this achievement, and it's something that means a lot to me. I'm excited to keep working and get more this season," Burke said. "My teammates of course play a massive role in this as well, and I wouldn't have achieved it without them."

"I want to congratulate Hannah Burke on an unbelievable milestone," Cox said. "I am happy for her and her family that she is now in the program's record book."

Morehead State took that 1-0 lead into halftime, looking to continue the offensive push in the second half. 

Cleveland State came out of halftime strong, attacking every angle of the Eagles' defense looking for a way to even the scale.

Lammers faced four shots on goal in the second half, recording a save on each attempt to finish the match with five saves.

Lammers discussed her role in Sunday's win.

"There was a lot going on in our box," Lammers said. "Keeping our defense organized and composed so we could clear it out of there and get it up the field was my biggest concern, as well as being ready for the stray balls that came towards the goal. It feels good to finally get a shutout after some breakdowns in the past couple games, I know we had it in us." 

The Eagle offense created another big push late in the match. Junior Keara Chaffee forced a turnover just outside the Vikings' box and capitalized on the opportunity herself, scoring the first goal of her collegiate career to put MSU ahead 2-0 in the 73rd minute.

"I've known Keara for a long time, I've coached her since she was 12 years old," said Cox. "To see her get her first college goal here was quality. As soon as she pulled the trigger, I had two months mortgage on her scoring, that's just what she does."

The Eagles held on over the final 16 minutes and three seconds to secure their second win of the 2026 campaign and improve to 2-2 on the season.

As for Cleveland State, the Vikings fell to 0-4 on the season and remain in search of their first goal.

Morehead State has now shut out three straight opponents at home, dating back to the final regular-season match of the 2025 campaign. The Eagles are also one of just two OVC schools to have secured a second win this season.

MSU was outshot 11-6 in Sunday's match, but two of the Eagles' six shots found the back of the net, providing the edge they needed to come out on top.

Morehead State's offense has scored six goals through the first four games of the season, with each goal coming from a different scorer.

The Eagles will be back in action on Thursday when they travel to Richmond, Ky., battling Eastern Kentucky for the Bluegrass Cup. Kickoff is set for 4:00 P.M. ET. and will be streamed on ESPN+.