BURLINGTON, Iowa - Eastern Illinois (0-1-1, 0-0-1 Summit) tied the Western Illinois Leathernecks (0-0-1, 0-0-1 Summit) after a barrage of shots. The Panthers managed 23 shots total and held WIU to only 11 shots on the match.
Reed Axthelm scored the Panthers' lone goal off an assist from
Chad Hamler. EIU will take on Oral Robert on Feb. 18 for their next Summit League match.
BY THE NUMBERS
The Panthers took 23 shots, tying them for sixth-most attempts by a division one team this season.
Reed Axthelm scored his first career goal as a Panther.
Axthelm's five-shot attempts tie him for the No. 23 spot for most attempts by a single player this season.
FROM THE KICK
In the first half of play, the Panthers let up a score in the 27th minute of play. Cesar Cosio of the Leathernecks put a shot just out of the reach of Mac Van Oudt to put WIU up early on. The Panthers managed to take five shots, but none could find the back of the net for EIU.
In the second half, Eastern Illinois' Axthelm scored his first goal in the Panther blue. Axthelm's put a precise shot high into the left corner to tie things up. Axthelm was set up magnificently by Hamler, who found Axthelm in stride. The Panthers took 14 shots in this half, while WIU only managed five.Â
Eastern Illinois found themselves in a tight spot as the 90-minute clock expired with the score tied. The Panthers again outshot the Leathernecks once again in OT but couldn't find the nylon. As the two teams headed into double overtime, the Panthers found good positioning and attacked the goal. First, a shot by Hamler missed high, then a
Julian Smith shot was snagged by the hands of WIU's goalkeeper, and once again, Hamler's shot found the Leathernecks keeper. The Panthers and Leathernecks ended in a 1-1 draw after a hard-nosed battle.
Men's soccer will travel to Tulsa, Okla. to face Oral Roberts on Thursday, Feb. 18, at 5:30 for their first matchup of the week.
