Eastern’s men’s soccer team is finally starting to show its potential and they have won their last two games.

The Panthers didn’t just win the games, but they recorded two straight shutouts.

The defense has played well all season allowing just five goals in five games.

They were just waiting for the offense to catch up.

The team scored three goals in the two games. Eastern is showing their fans that they will be contenders in their final season in the Missouri Valley Conference.

Eastern has never won a conference championship in the MVC so the team’s final season in the conference would be as good as any to win.

The MVC is a tough conference with two teams ranked in the top 25 in the nation. Creighton is ranked No. 16 and Drake is ranked No. 22.

The Panthers have a lot to prove after they finished second to last in the conference in 2009.

One reason why Eastern struggled in 2009 was because they were the worst team in the conference in terms of goals scored.

If they can start putting the ball in the net more consistently, they will be able to contend for the conference title.

It is a lot to ask to go from last in scoring to first but the Panthers do not need that dramatic of a jump with the defense they have.

The Panthers defense was ranked third in the conference in terms of goals allowed, and with the additions of defensemen Graham Lynch and Zach Piekarski the team has already improved their strongest asset.

Also, senior goalkeeper Sean Molony has been playing very well this season. He is the wall of Eastern’s line of defense.

When he plays at a high level the team generally does well.

One can only hope that Eastern will be able to continue their success offensively and carry that momentum through the end of the non-conference season to the conference season.

Eastern has two more games in the non-conference season against Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and Western Michigan.

The Panthers are a combined 6-3-2 against those schools so if history repeats itself Eastern will be in good shape. If they win, Eastern will be 5-3 heading into a tough game against Creighton.

If Eastern can play at the level it has been both offensively and defensively for the rest of the season, it should have a good shot at qualifying for the MVC tournament.

And who knows, with a little luck maybe Eastern will leave the MVC as champions.

If Eastern were to win the MVC conference championship, it would be one of the best underdog stories in the history of the men’s soccer team. It would also be a great way to enter the Summit League.

Rob Mortell can be reached at 581-7944 or at