Eastern Illinois (5-6-1, 0-3 OVC) vs. Eastern Kentucky (5-3-3, 2-0-2 OVC)
Friday, September 29
3 pm at Lakeside Field
Live Stats | Live Video - OVC Digital Network
Eastern Illinois vs. Morehead State (2-7-1, 1-2-1 OVC)
Sunday, October 1
1 pm at Lakeside Field
Live Stats | Live Video - OVC Digital Network
ON-TAP: Eastern Illinois opens a four match homestand this weekend as the Panthers host Eastern Kentucky on Friday afternoon and Morehead State on Sunday. The Panthers lost both Ohio Valley Conference matches on the road last week at Belmont and Austin Peay. The Panthers are now 5-6-1 overall, 0-3 in the OVC. On Friday they host Eastern Kentucky which currently leads the OVC with eight points and a 2-0-2 OVC record. The Colonels are 5-3-3 on the season. EIU will host Morehead State on Sunday. The Eagles enter the weekend 2-7-1 overall, 1-2-1 in the OVC.
NO OVC GOALS YET: Eastern Illinois has been shutout in all three of its Ohio Valley Conference matches this season after the Panthers lost a pair of 2-0 matches on the road at Belmont and Austin Peay. EIU had entered OVC play with its highest goal total since the 2014 season with the Panthers scoring 16 goals against non-conference opponents. Last season EIU scored three goals in OVC action.
Rachel Pappas (vs. UT Martin) and
Emma Scaro (vs. Austin Peay) both scored game winners for the Panthers last year. EIU's other OVC goal was an own goal against SIUE.
TETEAK RETURNS IN NET: Sophomore goalkeeper
Sara Teteak returned to action in the second half Friday at Belmont and then played the match at Austin Peay. Teteak was injured in the overtime loss at Valparaiso back on Sept. 1. In her place
Maddie Lyon stepped into net and posted a 3-3 record with a 1.59 goals against average while making 23 saves. Teteak has a 1.34 goals against average for the season with 24 saves.
INJURY BUG HITS EIU: Eastern Illinois has had the injury bug hit the Panthers starting line-up at various times this season with starters
Carrie Caplin,
Kate Olson,
Sara Teteak and
Henar Urteaga all missing matches this year due to injury. For the season EIU has played 1,113 minutes of soccer for 12 matches. Defender
Lindsey Carlson is the lone EIU player to have logged over 1,000 minutes so far this season having played 1,024 heading into the weekend.
EUROPEAN CONNECTION: Eastern Illinois started all four of its European players last Friday during the Panthers OVC match at Belmont. EIU currently has three players from Spain –
Itxaso Aguero,
Eva Munoz and
Henar Urteaga; and one player from Sweden –
Niondina Nystrom. Urteaga is a sophomore and last season earned All-OVC Newcomer Team honors for EIU. The other three players are all freshmen for the Panthers.
SERIES HISTORY: Eastern Illinois and Eastern Kentucky will be meeting for the 14th time on Friday afternoon with the Panthers holding a slight 7-6 all-time lead in the series. EKU has won three straight in the series including a 4-0 win over the Panthers in Richmond, Ky., last season. On Sunday, EIU and Morehead State will be meeting for the 24th time with EIU holding a 12-8-3 all-time series lead. Morehead State won 1-0 last year to extend their winning streak to three straight in the series.
HEAD COACH: Kiki Lara is in his second season as the EIU women's soccer head coach. Lara was hired as the men's soccer head coach in 2015 and was promoted to director of soccer overseeing both programs in the spring of 2016. Lara is a 2003 graduate of Incarnate Word and played in the USL First Division for five seasons. He came to EIU following a stint as the assistant men's soccer coach at Dayton. Lara is assisted this season by
Jake Plant and
Ashley Ross.
