Last weekend, Eastern’s women’s soccer team lost a pair of matches to drop to 4-4 in Ohio Valley Conference play on the season. The losses drop the Panthers into a four-way tie for third place in the OVC, and only the top six conference records get in, so the Panthers are now faced with a one-game win-or-go-home scenario this weekend at home against Southern Illinois University- Edwardsville.

Last Friday’s match at Murray State saw red-shirt sophomore goalkeeper Jessica Taldone allow three goals in the first half after allowing only two goals in five conference matches going into the weekend.

Sunday saw Taldone bounce back after being pulled at halftime to play 103 scoreless minutes before letting up that game’s only goal in double overtime. Friday’s match against Murray State also saw the Panthers allow 12 shots on-goal while mustering only two of their own.

The Panthers were also out-shot in the match 19-9. Sunday’s match with Austin Peay was much more even in the shots on goal category, with Eastern only trailing 9-7 in the double-overtime loss.

Looking at the Panthers’ last conference weekend, they are still jockeying with Murray State, Austin Peay and Tennessee-Martin. With their losses last weekend to Austin Peay and Murray State, the Panthers now only hold the regular season tiebreaker with Tennessee Martin, who they beat 1-0 earlier in the year. A loss to Southern Illinois- Edwardsville this weekend would also put the Panthers even with the Cougars, as well as giving the Cougars the tiebreaker, so put simply: lose and Eastern’s out of the postseason hunt.

Around the OVC Last weekend in other OVC action, Murray State beat Eastern 3-0 before downing Southern Illinois-Edwardsville by a score of 1-0. Eastern Kentucky battled to a 1-1 draw with non-conference opponent Longwood in their only weekend match. Austin Peay picked up a pair of key OVC victories against Southern Illinois- Edwardsville and Eastern. Southeast Missouri State played only once, losing 2-1 to Tennessee-Martin. Morehead State played one non-conference match last weekend, losing 3-2 at home to Longwood. Southern Illinois Edwardsville got shut out twice, losing a pair of OVC contests to Austin Peay and Murray State by a combined score of 3-0. Finally in OVC action last weekend, Tennessee Martin beat Southeast Missouri 2-1 in Cape Girardeau, Mo.

Brad Kupiec can be reached at 581-7944 or bmkuiec@eiu.edu