Eastern Illinois (1-0) vs. Bradley (1-0-1)
Sunday, September 3
1PM - Lakeside Field (Charleston, Ill.)
Watch on ESPN+ | Live Stats
Eastern Illinois (1-0) vs. IUPUI (1-1)
Tuesday, September 5
4PM - Lakeside Field (Charleston, Ill.)
Watch on ESPN+ | Live Stats
ON-TAP: Eastern Illinois men's soccer continues its series of home games with two matches in three days. First up is Bradley, the Braves come to Charleston with a 1-0-1 record following a tie against Kansas City in their last match. Two days later, the opponent will be IUPUI as the Panthers look to stretch the good beginning of the season. IUPUI holds a 1-1 record after dropping their last game to Notre Dame while EIU sits at a 1-0 record after defeating Governors State to open up the season.
OFF TO A GOOD START: The home win over Governors State marked the first time EIU has opened the year with a win since 2018. On that occasion, the Panthers defeated Cincinnati on the road, 2-0. The last home opener win came in 2014, when the Panthers beat St. Francis (IL) also 2-0.
MALOMA SCORES: One of the most experienced players on the squad,
Lesego Maloma added his first goal of the season during EIU's 1-0 win over Governors State. The senior forward looks to continue making a positive impact on the Panther's offense.
CLEAN SHEET TO OPEN THE SEASON: In goal,
Chad Smith posted three saves to give EIU the first shutout of the season. Last time EIU opened the season with a shutout was also in 2018, against Cincinnati.
ECCLES SCORES IN EXHIBITION PLAY: Earlier this year,
Sam Eccles scored EIU's goal during the exhibition play phase. The senior forward who led the team in number of goals last season (5) found the back of the net in EIU's 1-1 tie against Bowling Green.
OVC PLAYER TO WATCH: Sam Eccles was named as EIU's player to watch in the OVC this season. The senior forward from Sheffield, England scored five goals and had one assist last year, which gave him a total of 11 points, the most points scored by an EIU player since 2014. Eccles started in 16 matches and logged 1,024 minutes for the Panthers.
SERIES HISTORY: Sunday's match will be the 32nd meeting between Eastern Illinois and Bradley. The Panthers hold a 9-19-3 record disadvantage against the Braves. Against IUPUI, the match will mark the 18th time in history that both schools meet. The Jaguars hold a close 6-7-5 record advantage over the Panthers.
HEAD COACH: Josh Oakley enters his second season as the head coach of the Eastern Illinois men's soccer team. Oakley was hired as the 11th head coach in the history of the program. A native of Mattoon, Ill., Oakley previously served as an assistant coach at EIU from 2000-02 and returned to Charleston after a successful stint at Lansing Common FC in the Midwest Premier League. He is assisted by
Chris DeVito
NEXT UP: EIU hosts Bellarmine on Saturday, Sept. 9. Kickoff scheduled for 1pm.
