Eastern junior goalkeeper Jenny Williams has battled an injury throughout this season.

Williams injured her ankle before the Panthers’ third game of the season and has split time in the net with sophomore goalkeeper Kaylin Lorbert ever since.

Williams has allowed 13 goals and has an 0-6-0 record in six starts this season.

Her goals against average – which was a solid 1.54 last season and was at 1.10 for her career before the start of this season – currently sits at 2.24.

Despite the won-loss record and her GAA increasing, Williams is still considered a team leader by Panthers’ head coach Tim Nowak.

“Jenny uses her voice really well and is very demonstrative,” Nowak said. “She is an experienced goalkeeper and is confident and capable of jumping on players if they make a mistake.”

Williams’ statistical downfall might have to do with Eastern’s scoring drought this season.

The Panthers are being out-shot 244-99 on the season and have a 101-34 shot on goal difference against their opponents.

Eastern’s opponents have a .090 shot percentage and a .414 shot on goal percentage.

Losing streak record broken

Friday’s loss to Tennessee Martin tied an Eastern record for consecutive losses in a season.

Sunday’s loss to Murray State broke that record.

With their seventh consecutive loss, the Panthers broke the losing streak record set by the 2005 team, which lost six consecutive matches early in its season.

The 2005 team finished 9-10-2 and 6-1-2 in the Ohio Valley Conference.

Likewise, this year’s team began its season on an 11-match winless streak.

The previous record was set by that same 2005 team with six.

Additionally, the Panthers have gone nine consecutive matches without scoring a goal. Prior to this season the Panthers’ previous long scoreless streak was three matches.

The 1997 and 1998 teams each had three-match stretches where they failed to score a goal.

Miller’s streak ends at 18

Junior midfielder Alexis Miller’s consecutive starts streak came to an end against Murray State on Sunday.

Miller came off the bench for the first time this season against the Racers but led all reserves with 61 minutes played.

Miller has started 39 of her 51 career games at Eastern.

She led the Panthers in assists (six) in 2007 and was second in goals (four) and total points (14).

She finished fourth in the OVC in total assists. She also has the assist on the Panthers’ only goal so far in 2008 scored by freshman forward Ashley Eck against Purdue.

Meanwhile, senior defender Ashley Slota extended her consecutive starts streak to 43.

Former Panther Kellie Floyd has the Eastern record with 61 consecutive starts from 2005-2007.

If Slota remains in the starting lineup for the remainder of the regular season she will finish with 50 consecutive starts.

Collin Whitchurch can be reached at 581-7944 or at cfwhitchurch@eiu.edu.

Jaime Sullivan, who commutes from Effingham, believes the driver’s board in the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union is not helpful for commuter students.

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Junior goalkeeper Jenny Williams kicks the ball during Sunday afternoon’s match against Murray State at Lakeside Field. Williams, who has battled an ankle injury this season, has allowed 13 goals but made 44 saves through six matches this season. (Erin M

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