Game Notes >>> Live Stats: at IUPUI | at Ohio State

CHARLESTON, Ill. – As Eastern Illinois men's soccer's four-game road stretch continues this week, the Panthers travel east to take on IUPUI Wednesday and 21st-ranked Ohio State Sunday – opponents that are both unbeaten at home thus far.

 

Wednesday's trek to Indianapolis for the 6 p.m. (CDT) kickoff represents the second of EIU's three trips to the capital of the Hoosier State this fall. Sunday's game in Columbus is slated to begin at 11 a.m. (CDT).

 

Ohio State was the national runner-up at last season's NCAA Tournament, ending Bradley's miraculous Elite Eight run in the process. Coincidentally, it was the Braves that brought EIU's 2007 campaign to an in the semifinals of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.

 

IUPUI (4-3-2) enters the month of October 2-0-1 at home this season. Ohio State (5-2-1) hosts Bowling Green Wednesday night. The Buckeyes carry a 3-0 home record into that match.

 

The Panthers (5-2-1), meanwhile, are 3-1-1 in true road games this season.

 

Eastern entered the week leading the Valley with 21 goals while ranking fourth nationally in goals per game. The Panthers have only been shutout once in their first eight games. That clean-sheet loss came at the hands of the nation's top-ranked defensive team, Northwestern. The No. 3 Wildcats have surrendered just one goal in their first nine games and shutout Ohio State in Evanston Saturday.

 

Each of IUPUI's first four opponents of the season were teams the EIU has also played. The Jaguars were shutout by both Northern Illinois and Northwestern at a season-opening tournament in Evanston. However, IUPUI bounced back with wins against Valparaiso and Western Michigan the following weekend.

 

The Jaguars have been solid defensively as of late, shutting out their last two opponents and surrendering only two goals in their last four games.

 

Eastern has defeated IUPUI each of the last two seasons to even the all-time series at 2-2-1. Mike Lewis scored his first career goal in Indianapolis two years ago and Alex Harrison found the back of the net against the Jags at Lakeside Field last season. Adam Gartner, meanwhile, assisted on both EIU goals in the 2007 victory.

 

The Panthers won the last meeting with Ohio State, 2-1 in overtime, in 1998 at Lakeside Field. The two programs last squared off in Columbus in 1995, with OSU winning 3-1.

 

The Buckeyes play their home games at the 10,000-seat Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium, which is also home to the OSU track and field and lacrosse programs.

 

Saturday night EIU has tickets for the Columbus Crew-L.A. Galaxy MLS game at Crew Stadium in Columbus.

 

While the Panthers played very well in September, October sets up as challenging month. Eastern's October opponents currently feature a combined record of 41-19-7 (.664).

HANSEN RIDING A STREAK: Goalkeeper Mark Hansen enters the month of October having not surrendered a goal for the last 215:23 minutes of game action. The last score he gave up was in the 35th minute of the draw at Northern Illinois on Sept. 14. Wright State's late goal came with Mark Essary in the net... Hansen's longest shutout streak last season was 436 minutes.

More Info: Contact Ben Turner, Asst. SID