CHARLESTON, Ill. – Goals from Jeff Kupiec, Austin Andrekus, Ian McCausland and Grey Genenbacher allowed Eastern Illinois men's soccer to cruise past Asbury, 4-0, in the nonconference finale Monday afternoon at Lakeside Field.

Twenty-one of the 23 Panthers on the roster saw action. Freshman goalkeeper Shailer Thomas made his first career regular-season start and recorded his first shutout. He finished with two saves, both coming in the second half.

Kupiec gave EIU (6-6-3) a halftime lead when he finished off a corner kick chance in the 40th minute, scoring his first career game-winner and second goal overall.

 

The Panthers broke the game open with three goals in a 15-minute span late in the contest. Andrekus (73rd minute), McCausland (78th) and Genenbacher (88th), all redshirt-freshmen, scored their first goals as Panthers in regular-season play.

 

Asbury goalkeeper Dylan Fouts helped keep his team in the game for much of the day, making five of his seven saves in the first half. Asbury (4-12) is coached by former EIU assistant Josh Oakley, a Mattoon native.

 

“We played OK, our ball movement was pretty good,” EIU head coach Adam Howarth said. “We can still improve in some areas. They gave us a good game in the first half and I think they maybe tired out a little bit in the second half. It was good that everybody was able to play today. That was always our plan to do that. And they did well; there were some good performances out there.”

Andrekus also assisted on Genenbacher's goal. Jim Adee helped setup the goals by McCausland and Genenbacher. Kendal Spurgin and Ryan Child also registered assists.

 

Kupiec scored with a shot from the edge of the 18-yard box inside the right post. Spurgin put the corner kick into play and Kupiec took advantage after the ball was initially deflected out to the edge of the box.

 

Child setup Andrekus' goal, which was scored from along the endline near the left post. He deflected in the shot off an Asbury player near the post.

 

McCausland made the most of his one-touch chance in the center of the 18-yard box after Adee's initial shot was redirected by an Asbury defender.

 

Genenbacher put the finishing touch on a left-to-right cross by Andrekus while making a run down the right flank. He knocked it home at point blank range near the right post.

Kyle Zumski and Kupiec were the only EIU field players that went the distance. Matt Crowley logged 50 minutes to lead the reserves.

 

The Panthers have posted a shutout in each of their last three home games. They'll carry a streak of 313 consecutive minutes without a goal against at Lakeside Field into their Nov. 4 home date against Drake.

But first EIU returns to action Saturday night for a Halloween rematch with Bradley. Kickoff in Peoria is slated for 8 p.m.