Eastern head coach Tim Nowak and the Panthers have secured Ohio Valley Conference Tournament berth Sunday with a 2-0 win against Jacksonville State. Eastern (7-9-1) will play against non-conference rival Illinois State at 3 p.m. at Lakeside Field. The Redbirds (8-4-3, 4-0-2) have clinched the Missouri Valley Conference regular season title. Here are three players who have helped ISU reach its first MVC championship title since 2003.

1.Bethany Russ – The Grayslake native leads the Redbirds with seven goals this season in 15 matches. The senior forward has scored 15 points for her team and has one assist on the season with a .280 shot percentage on 25 shots on goal.

2. Katie Grill-Donovan – The Calgary, Alberta native has 63 saves this season, while playing in all 15 matches for 1,416 minutes. The freshman goalkeeper’s has a save average of 0.95 percent per match.

3. Yvonne Northover – The senior midfielder has six goals and six assists this season. The Calgary, Alberta native has played in all 15 matches this season and has a four game-winning goals. Northover scored the game-winning goal against the Panthers at Lakeside Field in 2005.