Up 2-0 heading into the third of five penalty kicks, the Panthers were on the verge of a first round upset of Vanderbilt in last season’s Missouri Valley Conference tournament.

That would not happen.

Vanderbilt ripped off three straight goals and Eastern could only muster one additional score and the game moved into sudden-death penalty kicks.

Vanderbilt connected on its first shot and then-freshman midfielder Adam Gartner missed, giving the Commodores a first round Missouri Valley Conference Tournament win and sent the Panthers home empty-handed.

Eastern is again the sixth seed in the MVC tournament and will try to stage an upset against No. 3 seeded Missouri State in Peoria at Bradley’s Shea Stadium.

The Panthers lost their conference opener to the Bears, 2-0, in Springfield, Mo., on Sept. 20.

“When we left that day, I told my guys that I want to play them again,” said head coach Adam Howarth. “I’m excited to play them again, the guys are excited to play them again, and we had the opportunities to win that game.”

That game started the Panthers down a conference stretch with just one MVC victory. Despite the lone win and the No. 6 seed in the tournament, Howarth is confident in his team.

“Every team is fearful of us,” Howarth said. “I saw that (Saturday) with (Drake) sitting back on us. It was the first time I’ve seen that. We are not afraid to play any team.”

It might be the best time in many years for a No. 6 seed to make a run in the tournament, said Missouri State head coach Jon Leamy.

Prior to the season, many MVC coaches talked about the parity in the conference and Leamy thinks that will carry over into the tournament.

“I can’t remember a time when the tournament has been this wide open, every team has a shot,” Leamy said. “There is not a team in Peoria that can’t win this thing.”

Sophomore goalie Mark Hansen, who stopped Vanderbilt’s first two shots before being beaten by the next four, has earned his starting job in the net back after losing it to senior Paul Jennison midway through Eastern’s game against Western Kentucky.

Hansen is going into the tournament on a hot streak. His two shutout games in the last week of the regular season earned him Brine/MVC Defensive Player of the Week honors.

Senior defender Phil Clemmer will try to help his younger teammates prevent mistakes and stay focused on the game plan.

“When we get nervous we start playing long ball,” Clemmer said. “I have been trying to remind everyone to link up with the midfield because if the long ball doesn’t connect they can shove it right back down our throats.”