The Panthers announced Monday their final regular season match of 2007 will be against Asbury College at 3 this afternoon in Wilmore, Ky.

Eastern (10-5-3) played Asbury (9-11) last season in Charleston and beat the Eagles 2-0 behind goals from junior forward Brad Peters and senior midfielder Brad Earl.

Eastern head coach Adam Howarth said the Asbury game is a good test for his squad.

“They are a possession-oriented team,” Howarth said. “They play on a fast field. It should be a good test and a good opportunity for us.”

Junior goalkeeper Mark Hansen said he knew little about Asbury’s style of play, but the Panthers should be successful if they play to Eastern’s style.

“I don’t know much about how they play,” Hansen said. “We are just going to go out (in) there and play our style and go for a win.”

Asbury is coached by former EIU assistant and Mattoon native Josh Oakley.

The Eagles were winners of the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament title and earned berth in the NAIA Region XII Tournament before falling to eventual region champion Covenant College.

The Panthers won 2-0 last season at Lakeside Field. Earl and Peters scored against the Eagles.

Panthers will play as the No. 5 seed

The Panthers have finished Missouri Valley Conference play and finished the league in fifth place with a (2-3-1) record. The Panthers play has earned them a No. 5 seed in the MVC Conference tournament to be held in Omaha, Neb., Nov. 14 to 18.

Hansen said the No. 5 seed the team received this year is not much different than the No. 6 seed it received last year.

“The six seed is better than the five seed we got last year, but it’s not much different,” Hansen said.

Eastern’s first-round opponent has yet to be determined, but the team has some scores to settle from the regular season.

Sophomore goalkeeper Nick Alexander said he would like to play Creighton because he is a native of Omaha.

“Being from Omaha, I love the chance to get to play Creighton again,” Alexander said. “Other than that, I would like another chance to play Evansville because they outplayed us.”

Hansen said he does not care whom the Panthers play, but would like a shot at any team they lost to in conference play.

Alexander said the two tournaments the team won in the beginning of the season have helped prepare the Panthers for the MVC tournament.

“Those tournaments will definitely help us,” Alexander said. “They help us know what its like, and it’s great starting off the season feeling good.”

Panthers drop regional ranking

The Panthers dropped one spot in the National Soccer Association of America Midwest Region poll to No. 7 after a 2-1 loss to Bradley on Saturday at Lakeside Field.

The Panthers join Creighton, Bradley, Drake and Evansville as Missouri Valley Conference teams recognized by the NSCAA.

Eastern has been ranked in the Midwest region for all 10 weeks since the poll has come out. Its highest ranking came the week of Sept. 11, when the team was ranked No. 5 after wins against Oral Roberts and the University of Kansas City-Missouri.