One day before the season opener of the 2006 season and head coach Adam Howarth is still unsure about parts of his starting line-up.

When the Panthers take on Detroit-Mercy at 1 p.m. Friday in the opening round of the Bowling Green Kelme Tournament, it will be a game-time decision as to who will start at many key positions.

But Howarth has decided on some positions.

Sophomore Brad Peters will be the starting striker along with junior captain Mick Galeski behind him at center midfield, but who will be starting in goal is still up in the air. Howarth has three goalies on the roster: sophomores Mark Hansen and Nick Alexander in addition to senior Paul Jennison, a Parkland junior college transfer and native of England.

In addition to Peters and Galeksi, Howarth has his three senior defensemen penciled into the starting 11. Mike Comiskey, Phil Clemmer and David Ardmor will all be looked on by Howarth to lead the young Panthers.

“The key players for us will be our captain – Mick – and our seniors,” Howarth said. “(Clemmer) and (Comiskey) are going to see a lot of (playing) time.”

Detroit-Mercy was named the Horizon League favorite, where they received 44 first-place votes in the league’s preseason poll.

In the preseason Missouri Valley Conference polls, Eastern was picked to finish fifth.

The Panthers’ second game of the tournament will be at 1 p.m. Sunday when they take on host Bowling Green. Eastern has never played Detroit-Mercy before but the Panthers have experience against the Falcons.

In the season opening tournament last year at Wisconsin-Green Bay, the Panthers tied 1-1 with Bowling Green in what Falcons head coach Paul Thompson described as a “long and hot battle.”

This year, the Falcons are rebuilding with 13 freshmen on their roster and no seniors.

“We are a young team and every day is a learning experience,” Thompson said. “In college soccer, experience is very important, and right now we have none of it.”

Before taking the head coaching position at BGSU, Thompson was the coach at Evansville, a team that the Panthers played frequently.

Thompson said he “likes what Adam (Howarth) is doing” and he is “curious to see how (Eastern’s) young players have developed.”

The Panthers are also a young team but do have three experienced starting defenders and Howarth hopes to improve upon last year’s 5-9-2 record.

“The seniors – it’s all about them. This is their season,” he said.