This season, the women’s soccer team rebounded from a 3-14-2 performance last year to a 7-8-5 record and a new head coach.

Head coach Summer Perala and the Panthers got off to a 4-4-3 start in non-conference play before heading into Ohio Valley Conference play.

Eastern was 3-1-2 after their first six conference matches, but ended the regular season on a downhill fall, losing their last two games. Despite the losing streak, the Panthers finished the regular season in fifth place in the OVC and earned a No. 5 seed in the OVC Tournament.

The Panthers were leading against Tennessee Tech in the first round of the tournament through 70 minutes, until Tech tied the game at the 71-minute mark.

The match advanced to double overtime, but didn’t last long, as Tech scored the game-winning goal less than one minute into the second overtime.

Junior midfielder Sarah Rusk had positive things to say about the turnaround season, despite being knocked out of the first round.

Rusk said that she thought the season went well.

“Coming off of last year, from that hard season, and coming back and having a good season going .500 throughout the regular season,” Rusk said.

Perala said the loss was hard on everyone, especially the graduating class of six seniors who were 26-40-13 over their career.

“(The seniors) had nothing to lose but this game,” Perala said. “They wanted a better result, obviously.”

In the senior class, the Panthers will be losing two All-OVC first team members. Midfielder Laura Ridolfi, who had three goals on seven shots on goal, one assist, and led the team in shooting percentage, and goalkeeper Jenny Williams, who led the team to four of its six shutouts this season.

Eastern also loses its leading points-getter in forward Rachel Hamilton.

She scored three goals and tallied five assists, earning 11 points this season.

Midfielder Alexis Miller scored two goals, tallied two assists and connected on one game-winning goal this season.

Midfielder Sam Kohen and defender Cassie Shear made their contributions from off the bench.

Kohen scored one goal, which tied an Oct. 16 game against Tech, while contributing three assists. She finished the season with five points seventh best on the team. Shear played in eight games this season.

“The seniors should be proud that they built a good foundation to build on for years to come,” Perala said. “I told them when they come back for alumni weekend that they can take it to the young kids.”

According to Perala, that foundation that has been built is now in the hands of a good returning group of players.

Seventeen Panthers make up the returning group, including sophomore defender Sam Balek, who earned a spot on the All-OVC Second Team.

Balek started every game this season, and will be returning with four of the main starters on the Panthers backline.

Midfielder Kristin Germann, a member of the All-OVC Newcomers Team, will be returning with four other freshmen that all received playing time.

Along with the five returning freshmen, the Panthers will return four juniors, six sophomores, and one red-shirt freshman.

Alex McNamee can be reached at 581-7944 or admcnamee@eiu.edu.

Sophomore midfielder Elise Farrelly fights for the ball against Western Illinois freshmen midfielder Sarah Blaase Sept. 24 at Lakeside Field. Farrelly started 11 matches this season, including all eight conference matches.(Amir Prellberg/The Daily Eastern

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