Panthers to face rival team in grueling home opener
In-state rival Western Illinois comes to Lakeside Field for the Eastern men’s soccer team’s home opener today at 4:30 p.m.
The Panthers hold a 31-11-5 all-time record against the Leathernecks. Western is a future conference opponent for Eastern. This is the Panther’s final season in the Missouri Valley Conference, next year they will join the Summit League.
Western won the Summit League tournament championship, earning them a spot in the NCAA tournament.
The Leathernecks will be a tough opponent for the Panthers, who fell to 0-3 after a loss against Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne.
Eastern head coach Adam Howarth said that the Western is going to be a tough team but he feels the Panthers are up for the challenge.
“Anytime Eastern and Western play it’s always a hard fought battle,” Howarth said. “Last time we play it was 2-2 at their place it’s always a good battle, I have a lot of respect for coach Johnson in terms of what he has done.”
The Panthers are still trying to score their first goal of the season after getting shut out in the first three games. The team is going to try a few new lineups and plays to get the team on the board.
“We’ve tried some different people in different spots, we have definitely had chances, it is just a question of putting of chances away,” Howarth said. “We have worked on it each day in practice, when one comes I think we will be fine.”
Junior defenseman Graham Lynch said he is confident that Eastern will play to the best of their ability.
“Our focus is just to come out of there with a win, we have struggled scoring in our opening three games our focus is just to attack and score a few goals and come away with a win,” Lynch said.
Lynch said the struggles of the offense need to be fixed quick. He said that the team has worked hard in practice and they should be able to get on the board against Western.
“We are just going to keep doing what we are doing, we have been practicing certain game situations which we found difficult, I think that if we just pluck it out we will get somewhere. I think it could be tomorrow, I am feeling very confident,” Lynch said.
The team is excited for the regular season home opener. The Panthers are hoping for a big crowd to help the team win its first game of the season.
“We are expecting quite a big crowd and a lot of support, hopefully we can come away with a win and not let the fans down,” Lynch said.
Howarth said he encourages the fans to come out to the game and support the team.
“We always try to throw things into the crowd that’s a nice thing for them,” Howarth said. “Sometimes a big crowd can suck the ball into the net for us and that’s what we need.”
The Panthers know they can win the game if they put the ball in the back of the net. This rivalry game can spark the offense.
Panthers to face rival team in grueling home opener
Freshman midfielder/forward Cameron Lauchner attempts to reach the ball Aug. 28 during Eastern’s game against Green Bay at Lakeside Field.(Danny Damiani
