Sophomore goalkeeper Jenny Williams returned to the net on Friday after missing the past three games with an injury.

Williams made one save and gave up her first goal since playing Missouri on Sunday in a 2-0 loss at Morehead State.

Williams has given up the most goals of the season in a 3-0 loss on Sept. 9 at Missouri.

“She came out and made some big plays on corner kicks and crosses,” Eastern head women’s soccer coach Tim Nowak said of her play on Sunday.

Nowak said Williams was thrown into back of the net on a corner kick but got right back up.

The Quincy native made 73 saves last season and gave up 19 goals in 20 games. Williams has given up eight goals in 10 games.

The 2006 Ohio Valley Conference All-Newcomer Team member notched six shutouts in the final eight games.

Williams gave up four goals in a 4-2 loss at Wright State last season. It has been the most in her career.

Nowak participates in dunking contest

Nowak participated in a dunking contest Wednesday in the South Quad to raise money and awareness for breast cancer.

“It was chance for them to put their coach underwater,” he said. “Luckily for me it was a warm day sitting out there. I will do anything at all, even it means getting dunked on on campus.”

The National Residence Hall Honorary sponsored the event where students were able to pay a fee to dunk the coach and others.

The NRHH sold more than 600 breast cancer T-shirts Wednesday.

It was a Pink Weekend for Breast Cancer Awareness and Faculty at Lakeside Field. The Eastern players wore pink warm-up shirts and some players wore pink headbands and wristbands during the game.

At halftime, a ceremonial pink balloon release took place.

Competition in the OVC

The Panthers do not lose in the Ohio Valley Conference regular season often, especially early in the season.

Eastern lost to Morehead State on Sunday. The Panthers lost at Samford 2-1 on Oct. 20 last season in Birmingham, Ala. The Panthers have never lost more than one game in the OVC.

Nowak said losing a conference game hurts, but it’s not the end of the world.

“The sun came up on Monday,” Nowak said.

The four ties for the 2006 program were the most in the program’s history. The Panthers loss was the eighth OVC contest of the season. The Panthers also lost to Samford on Oct. 14 in 2005. That was their only loss in the OVC that season. The 2005 loss was the sixth OVC contest of the season. In 2004 the Panthers lost to Jacksonville State on the road in the fourth OVC contest of the season.

But in 2001 and 2002 the Panthers lost the opening season contests to Southeast Missouri. The Panthers would have revenge as they defeated the Redhawks in the finals of the OVC Tournament in Cape Girardeau, Mo. The Panthers defeated SEMO in the 2002 OVC Tournament Final on penalty kicks.

The Panthers went undefeated in the OVC in 1999, 2000 and 2003.

Jenny Williams, sophomore goalie, makes a save against Ball State on Sept. 14 at Lakeside Field. Williams returned to action against Eastern Kentucky last Friday after missing the three previous games because of injury.

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