The Eastern women’s soccer team will start its Ohio Valley Conference tournament run 5 p.m. Thursday in Morehead, Ky.

The Panthers, who hold the No. 4 seed in the tournament, will battle against No. 5 seeded Eastern Kentucky.

The Panthers got the best of the Colonels in their regular season match-up getting a 1-0 victory at home.

Head coach Summer Perala said the team will not be overconfident after defeating EKU earlier this season.

“Lindsay (Basalyga), the EKU coach, does a very good job motivating her team and those players will be looking to gain a bit of redemption,” Perala said.

Perala said the team’s main focus in practice has been being competitive and starting the game with a sense of urgency.

Perala said assistant coach Grant Williams has done a good job this week getting extra repetitions in for the players involved in services.

“Knowing the low scores of not only our games, but of the conference in general, a set piece goal can be the difference between winning or heading into (penalty kicks),” Perala said.

Perala said the winner of the game will be the team that can focus and execute on the little details.

“Especially when fatigue starts to play into things,” Perala said. “A conference championship is three games away, and we’ve really tried to mimic the work load that it will take to physically and mentally get through those demands.”

Perala said the team has done a good job of facing the challenge. She said the team is excited to start the tournament.

Eastern will take the field against EKU Thursday at 5 p.m.

Jordan Pottorff can be reached at 581-7944 or jbpottorff@eiu.edu

Kaitlin Sullivan, a senior mid fielder, goes to steal the ball away from a Murray State player Oct. 24 at Lakeside Field. The Panthers take on Eastern Kentucky Thursday afternoon in Morehead, Ky. for the first round of the OVC Championship. (Audrey Sawyer

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