Tuesday, October 6 - at Missouri State [Live Stats] [Live Stream]

Saturday, October 10 - at IPFW [Live Stats]

Overtime: The Panthers come into this match after two straight games that have headed into double overtime. The last match against Northern Illinois marked the third time this season that EIU has gone to extra time. The record high for overtime games in a season for EIU is five times in a season which has been done five separate times, the last time happening in the 2013 season when the Panthers had four games that went to double overtime. Missouri State is no stranger to extra time games this season as they have gone to overtime in 4 of their 9 games so far this season. EIU holds a 1-2 record when going into overtime while Missouri State has a record of 2-0-2.

Depth on the Bench: Head coach Kiki Lara is no stranger to mixing up his starting lineup and utilizing the depth EIU has coming off the bench. In the Panthers previous game against NIU Ben Feltes earned his first start of the season in the net for EIU while Collin Wynn earned his first career start in a Panther uniform. So far this season 28 different Panthers have spent time on the pitch, 18 playing in at least five games so far this season. Tyler Oliver who leads the team in goals and points has only started in two games this season, while his brother Justin Oliver who is second on the team has only started once for EIU when they faced Lipscomb. Of the eight goals scored so far this season for EIU six have come from off the bench.

Panther Resiliency: EIU has fought hard this season despite overwhelming odds. The Panthers have shown much improvement in their play as the season has progressed, despite losing the last two matches the Panthers have found a way to score and remain a threat, unlike the previous losses on the season which all resulted in the Panthers being shutout. The Northern Illinois game especially showed EIU's drive to not give up as the Panthers went down 2-0 within the first six minutes before calming down and not giving up another goal the rest of regulation. The Panthers clawed back and found the back of the net twice in the last six minutes of the match to extend the match against NIU into extra time. Six of EIU's eight goals on the season have come in the second half or later. 

High Standards at Goalkeeper: Feltes start against Northern Illinois added to an already stellar record at goalkeeper set up by Mike Novotny so far this season. Feltes eight save game against NIU tied the teams season high previously set by Novotny during the Lipscomb match. The duo has combined for 47 saves so far this season and a 5.88 saves per game average that ranks fifth in the nation. With his game against Northern Illinois Feltes has come closer to cracking the top ten all time at EIU for minutes played and total saves, records already broken by Novotny so far this season. 

Scouting Opponents: The Bears come into the match 3-4-2 overall having just lost 2-1 to conference opponents Drake, their second loss in row having faced No. 1 Creighton the match prior. The last time these two schools met was in 2012 when the two teams faced off in the Marriott Classic in Dayton, Ohio resulting in a 2-0 loss for the Panthers. The Bears hold the advantage over EIU with a 17-5 overall record having been former Missouri Valley Conference opponents before the Panthers moved to the Summit League in 2011. Missouri State has yet to lose on their home turf having a record of 2-0-1 so far on the season. The Bears are led by Jake Buckle and Jack Griffin who each have two goals on the season.

IPFW are currently 3-6 on the season coming off their conference opener against Omaha resulting in a 3-0 loss. The defeat to Omaha makes four straight losses for the Mastodons entering the match against EIU. The Panthers hosted IPFW last season resulting in EIU's only conference win in 2014 after defeating the Mastodons 2-0 giving Eastern a 9-4 overall series record. The Mastodons turn up the pressure in the second periods of matches as 11 of their 15 goals have come in the second half with nearly 30 more shots taken in the second period than in the first. Ten different players for IPFW have scored so far this season as the team is led by Jose Rodriguez and Austin West who each have three goals. Midfielder Zach Tom is also a key asset for the Mastodons as he has set up two goals for the team while scoring two of his own. 

Up Next: EIU continues their road trip against conference opponent Western Illinois Saturday, Oct. 17 at 1 p.m.