Three goals from senior Kristin Germann pushed the Eastern women’s soccer team to an overtime win over Cleveland State on Sunday, giving the Panthers their first win of the season.

Germann’s third goal of the match came three minutes into the first overtime period, when she scored from a rebound off Cleveland State goalkeeper Becca Coleman, giving the Panthers the 3-2 win, and Germann the hat trick.

“It feels amazing,” Germann said. “It feels pretty good to be on top right now.”

The past three matches, the Panthers haven’t been on top. The team was shut out by Iowa in the season opener, and then lost two more double overtime matches to Purdue and Northern Iowa.

Eastern took the lead early when Germann scored off a penalty kick after junior Caitlin Green was brought down hard by Cleveland State’s Valerie Stahl. Stahl was given a yellow card for the foul, which would be the first of two yellows given to the Viking team. The second came against the Cleveland State bench after an assistant coach argued a call with the referee late in the first half.

Early into the start of the second half, Cleveland State’s Kelcey Fisher would rip a shot from 25 yards out to tie the match.

Cleveland State would take the lead in the 73rd minute when Vickie Havas put one past red-shirt junior goalkeeper Jessica Taldone, but the lead wouldn’t last long for the Vikings. Less than a minute later, Germann would add her second goal of the game, via an assist from freshman Samantha Roumayah, to send the match into overtime, where Germann would add her third.

Head coach Summer Perala said it felt fantastic to finally get the first win of the season.

“The fact that they were able to come down from a goal behind and get the equalizer and then find a way to finish it out just shows their attention to details, their ability to really get the fitness and be able to finish out a game.” Perala said. “It’s fantastic.”

The Panthers will be on the road this weekend, taking on Indiana State at 7 p.m. Friday in Terre Haute, Ind.

Dominic Renzetti can be reached at 581-2812 or dcrenzetti@eiu.edu.