Eastern Illinois men's soccer opened the 2026 season with a 4-2 loss to Omaha on Friday, Aug. 21, at Caniglia Field. The Panthers and Mavericks were tied 2-2 at halftime before Omaha scored twice in the second half to secure the victory.Â
Eastern Illinois got a standout performance from forward Sergej Misic, who scored both of the Panthers' goals on three shots, all of which were on target. Miguel D'Amico added an assist, while goalkeeper Samuel Toruno made eight saves in the contest.Â
The Panthers held their own offensively early, scoring twice in the opening 45 minutes, but Omaha generated significantly more chances throughout the match. The Mavericks finished with an 18-6 advantage in shots and an 8-6 edge in corner kicks. Omaha also put 12 shots on target compared to four for Eastern Illinois.Â
Omaha received goals from Mikey Stukenholtz, Simon Guardiero, Matt Hosty and Amari Fowlkes, with Fowlkes also adding an assist. Derek Johnson contributed an assist, while Brett Perkins recorded an assist as the Mavericks finished with three assists overall.Â
