Kickoff Friday against EKU (4-9-3, 1-2-3 OVC) in Richmond is slated for 3 p.m. (CDT). Sunday's game at Morehead (7-6-3, 4-0-2 OVC) is set to begin at noon (CDT).
With the UT Martin game being rescheduled for Halloween at Lakeside Field, the Panthers (6-5-5, 2-1-2 OVC) have three regular-season contests remaining. EIU enters the week tied with Southeast Missouri for fifth place in the OVC with eight standing points. Should the Panthers win each of their three remaining games, they could still win the conference title.
However, first up would be clinching an OVC Tournament berth with a victory at EKU Friday. The Colonels enter the week in seventh place with six standings points and only have two games remaining. The top six teams in the final standings qualify for the league tournament, Nov. 5-8 at the regular-season champion.
Morehead State enters the week leading the league with 14 standings points. The Eagles went on the road last weekend and posted impressive wins at preseason favorites Murray State (2-1) and UT Martin (3-2). With games remaining against Morehead and UTM (12 points), EIU could have a major impact on where the conference tournament will be held.
Southeast Missouri (2-1-2 OVC) also makes the Morehead-EKU road trip this weekend and plays a makeup game at Murray State Oct. 29. The three games left for EIU and SEMO are the most in the league.
With 10 home games on their schedule this year, the Panthers have not been on the road for an entire weekend since the Eastern Michigan-Cleveland State trip the final weekend of August.
Eastern Kentucky is the youngest program in the OVC, with its first season of competition being in 2005. The Colonels enjoyed their breakout season a year ago, qualifying for their first OVC Tournament after finishing second in the standings.
Eastern Kentucky has scored only two goals in conference play. For the season, its minus-14 goal differential is the second worst in the conference. While the Colonels were able to battle Murray and Morehead to scoreless draws earlier this month, they're also winless (0-2-2) since posting their lone OVC win against last-place Jacksonville State on Oct. 4. However, each of EKU's four overall victories this season has come in Richmond.
The Panthers' 2006 win in Charleston marked the only time the home team has won in the short series. The Colonels posted their first victory against EIU last season, overcoming an early 1-0 deficit at Lakeside Field. No active Panthers have scored against EKU during their careers, but
Jenny Williams has recorded two of her 15 career shutouts in the series.
Morehead State won the 2008 OVC Tournament title after defeating EIU in the first round. The Eagles are now in position to follow that up with a regular-season crown if they can post two victories this weekend. After scoring three unanswered goals in the second half Sunday at UT Martin, Morehead is the only unbeaten team remaining in the conference.
Former Kentucky head coach Warren Lipka is now the leader of the MSU program, inheriting the team that Erin Aubry built before leaving for the head job at Arkansas. Aubry hired former EIU head coach Tim Nowak as her top assistant, creating the opportunity in Charleston for Summer Perala.
The Panthers won each of the first nine meetings in the series history with Morehead. However, the Eagles have turned the tables as of late, winning three of the last four matchups and ending EIU's season in the 2006 and 2008 OVC Tournaments. However, the Panthers' victory vs. MSU in Charleston last year did ignite the late-season run that kept the program's conference-record streak of 10 consecutive OVC Tournament berths alive. EIU also scored first in the tourney meeting in Morehead.
Kaitlin Sullivan accounted for that goal.
There are only three other conference games around the OVC this weekend: Tennessee Tech at Jacksonville State (Friday), Murray State at Austin Peay (Friday) and UT Martin at Austin Peay (Sunday). Jax State has been eliminated from OVC Tournament contention.
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