The Eastern women’s soccer team has just three matches remaining in the regular season, with two of them being played this weekend.

The Panthers will take on Morehead State at 5 p.m. on Friday in Morehead, Ky., followed by a noon match against Eastern Kentucky, also on the road.

The Panthers, who are currently in eighth place in the Ohio Valley Conference, are hoping to remain in the hunt to be one of the top six teams in the OVC tournament.

The Panthers enter the weekend with a 3-4 OVC record, while Morehead State is also struggling in conference with a 1-4-1 conference record.

The Eagles are 1-11-2 overall. Their only win this season has come against an OVC opponent. The Eagles have also lost its last two matches.

The Panthers have not won in Morehead, Ky., since 2005, and are coming off a 1-0 win last week against Murray State.

The Eagles have scored just 11 goals this season, with three players each having two goals. Red-shirt sophomore forward Holly Tilly leads the team with 12 shots on goal.

Eastern Kentucky enters the weekend with a 3-2-1 record, being one of four teams in the OVC tied with a 3-2-1 record.

The Colonels are 7-6-2 overall. Junior forward Nikki Donnelly leads the team with six goals this season.

The Panthers lost last season to the Colonels, but head coach Summer Perala has a 3-1 record all-time against the Colonels.

Eastern freshman goalkeeper posted her first career shutout against Murray State, in what was the Panthers’ first shutout of the year. The Panthers have recorded at least one shutout since 1995 when the team began play.

Following this weekend, the Panthers will return home for their final match of the regular season against OVC newcomer Belmont, in what will be the first meeting between the two as conference opponents.

The Panthers have made the post-season tournament the last 14 years, including every year under Perala.

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