AUBURN, ALA. – Behind a pair of first half goals from Melinda Lukas, Georgia Southern Women's Soccer took a 2-1 win over Indiana in the opening game of the Auburn Soccer Classic. The victory avenged a 5-0 loss to the Hoosiers last season and was the program's first win over a Big Ten opponent. Georgia Southern improves to 3-0 on the season entering Sunday's match against Auburn.

"Nice win for our players tonight, they played well," said Head Coach Brian Dunleavy. "We showed a lot of composure tonight in possession, and did a great job of pressing when defending. We made it difficult for them to get in a rhythm. Indiana is a talented team, with strong physical athletes, so we had to be smart, keep the ball on the ground, and keep it moving. I'm proud of their effort and commitment, but we still need to continue developing. Our focus is now on a very strong Auburn team."

The Eagles are now 7-16 all-time against Power Five opponents and took their first P5 win since September 15th, 2000 against Mississippi State.

Mistakes on the Hoosier back line paved the way for the opening goal on five minutes. A back pass to the IU netminder came within range of Lukas who dispossessed the goalkeeper and slotted the empty net attempt home for the goal.

Georgia Southern went two-nil up in the 21st minute via a conventional build-up. Freshman Angelica Wallerstedt got the ball on the wing and whipped a cross into the box. A well struck header from Lukas found the upper corner of the net, earning the brace for the Eagle sophomore.

Five minutes into the second half, Georgia Southern gifted the Hoosiers a goal when a cross was poorly dealt with, allowing the ball to deflect off a defender and trundle into the net.

The final 40 minutes passed with no goals despite both teams getting chances down the stretch. Defending Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week Katie Merson made five saves and picked up her third win of the season.

Next up for Georgia Southern is a Sunday matinee against Auburn in the final game of the Auburn Soccer Classic. The game against the Tigers starts at 3:30 p.m. (ET) and can be seen live on WatchESPN.com.

Georgia Southern Athletics provides up-to-date information on all its sports through its official website, GSEagles.com, through social media channels facebook.com/GSAthletics and twitter.com/GSAthletics. To purchase tickets call 1-800-GSU-WINS.