The Panthers (5-5-2, 2-3-0 MVC) square off against 24th-ranked Drake (8-4-1, 3-1-0 MVC) at 7 p.m. Wednesday evening in Des Moines. Creighton (5-3-3, 3-2-2 MVC) visits Lakeside Field Saturday at 2 p.m. and EIU closes out its nonconference schedule Monday with a 3 p.m. kickoff against Asbury (4-10).
In part four of the Panthers' senior day series,
Chris Pearson will be recognized prior to Saturday's game for his contributions to the program.
Eastern also opened the season with three games in a six-day stretch. Following the game Wednesday in Iowa's state capital, the Panthers are slated to play four of their final five regular-season games at home.
Drake was the only Missouri Valley Conference team EIU did not play during the first half of the double round-robin conference schedule. Creighton takes on Bradley in Peoria Wednesday night before making the trip to Charleston.
Asbury is an NAIA school based in Wilmore, Ky., and coached by former EIU assistant Josh Oakley, a Mattoon native. Eastern also played the Eagles in 2006 and 2007.
The Panthers posted victories against Missouri State and Bradley during the first half of the conference schedule. Both wins ended notable winless droughts. Eastern had never before beaten the Bears in Springfield and was winless in 10 consecutive meetings with the Braves.
This week, EIU will look to post its first victory in Des Moines since 1997 and record its first MVC win against Creighton. The Panthers surrendered a season-high five goals in their Oct. 11 loss to CU in Omaha.
Drake has been one of the most consistent teams in the league this season. The Bulldogs have yet to suffer back-to-back losses and have been shutout only once (Sept. 20 at UMKC). Missouri State's 2-1, come-from-behind victory Saturday night in Des Moines snapped DU's five-match unbeaten streak, which included three straight shutout wins against Western Illinois, Evansville and Creighton.
Eight different Bulldogs have scored multiple goals this season. Garrett Webb and Thomas Ostrander lead the way with four scores apiece.
Alex Harrison scored the Panthers' lone goal in the 3-1 loss in Des Moines last season. Each of the last two EIU-Drake meetings at Lakeside Field has ended in a draw. Eastern's last win in the series came in the opening round of the 2007 MVC Tournament in Omaha.
Creighton played five of its first six conference games at home this season. An Oct. 31 game against UCLA in Omaha is the lone home date left on the Bluejays' regular-season schedule.
Creighton is once again the top defensive team in the Valley, holding that distinction for the third straight year. With a 0.60 team goals against average, the Jays also ranked 12th nationally this week. After getting shutout by CU in six straight meetings from 2002-06, the Panthers have managed to score against the Jays each of the last three seasons. Unfortunately, EIU has still been on the downside of all three results.
When Creighton came to Lakeside Field last season for the regular-season finale, it had only allowed four goals in its 14 games. Harrison scored twice and
Jonathan Hinds recorded his first collegiate goal in the 5-3 CU win that clinched the regular-season MVC title. Harrison also scored EIU's lone goal earlier this month in Omaha. Entering the week, Creighton had surrendered a combined 10 goals in conference play the last two seasons. Harrison has accounted for three of those scores.
Asbury has posted three of its four victories in Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play to lead the five-team league.
Eastern's last overtime win was at Asbury in November 2007. Harrison accounted for the golden goal after also scoring a game-tying goal in regulation. The Panthers were 2-0 winners in Charleston a year earlier.
After a Halloween night game at Bradley, EIU closes out the regular season with home games against Drake (Nov. 4) and Missouri State (Nov. 7) the first week of November.
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Ben Turner, Asst. SID
