Game 16 – Wednesday, Nov. 3 @ 7 p.m.
Eastern Illinois (4-10-1) at Valparaiso (7-8-2)
Game 17 – Saturday, Nov. 6 @ 2 p.m.
Drake (7-7-2, 3-2-1 MVC) at EIU (4-10-1, 1-4-1 MVC)
Eastern Illinois will play the final week of the regular season with two matches on the schedule. EIU opens the week playing at Valparaiso on Wednesday night before returning home to play Drake for senior day on Saturday. The Panthers are in a must-win situation at Drake when the two teams meet for Missouri Valley Conference action on Saturday.
Head coach Adam Howarth is in his 11th season as the head coach for the Eastern Illinois men's soccer program. A former EIU player, Howarth has compiled a 78-102-20 career mark with the Panthers. Howarth has compiled a 19-57-9 record in the Missouri Valley Conference.
EIU will step out of conference on Wednesday as they play at Horizon League member Valparaiso for a night match. EIU has not fared well in night matches this season posting an 0-5 record when playing under the lights including Friday night's loss at Evansville on Fox Soccer Channel. The Panthers are 10-3-1 all-time against Valpo but has lost to the Crusaders in the each of the last two seasons. EIU is 0-1 against Horizon League members this year having lost at Illinois-Chicago last Wednesday.
The Panthers will face Drake on Saturday in what could be the final Missouri Valley Conference competition for the Panthers program. EIU is moving to the Summit League for men's soccer next season and would need to advance to the MVC Tournament in order to continue its league affiliation this season. EIU is currently seventh in the MVC standings and will need a win over Drake on Saturday plus a loss or tie by Evansville in its match with Central Arkansas. The Panthers are 5-11-3 all-time against Drake. EIU is on a three match losing skid to Drake having last knocked off the Bulldogs in the 2007 Missouri Valley Conference Soccer Tournament opening round.
Eastern Illinois will honor the four members of its soccer senior class prior to the match on Saturday. Being honored will be forward Alex Harrison, midfielder Darby Kehoe, defender Trevor Kohlrus and goalkeeper Sean Molony.
Eastern Illinois had a new player in goal on Friday night at Evansville as starting goalkeeper Sean Molony was forced from the game at the 33 minute mark following a collision with a Panthers defender. Tyler Kelley, a redshirt-freshman from Naperville, Ill., was called into emergency duty playing the final 57 minutes making three saves during the 3-0 loss. Molony had played the previous 1319 minutes in net this season with a 1.02 goals against average and 76 saves. Kelley became the first person other than Molony to play in goal since Nov. 4, 2009 when Shailer Thomas finished up the match with Drake playing 35 minutes.
EIU was shut out in both of its contests last week falling on Wednesday at Illinois-Chicago and Friday at Evansville. It marked the ninth time this season that EIU has been shut out in a match. So far this season EIU has scored goals in six matches with the Panthers posting a 4-1-1 record in those contests with the lone loss coming in a 2-1 set back to SIU Edwardsville.
The month of October is supposed to be highlighted by the tricks and treats of Halloween. For EIU the month was not a treat in any sort of manner as they posted a 1-6-1 record for the month. The Panthers picked up one win at Central Arkansas and senior Alex Harrison nearly posted a hat trick for the Panthers in a 2-2 tie with Bradley as his flick-on header was saved to stop a late EIU scoring chance.
