The start of the Eastern women’s soccer season may be just around the corner, but the team is still looking to add a few new members.

Newly named interim head coach Jason Cherry’s team will hold open walk-on tryouts at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the team’s practice field.

Students interested must receive a physical exam at Health Services in order to be eligible.

Physicals done by an outside physician will not be accepted.

A Sickle Cell test will be performed at the cost of the student.

Previous tests will be accepted with proper documentation.

All forms required by students are available on the Eastern athletic department’s website.

Students must wear proper attire and footwear during the tryout.

“I want to do open tryouts because I always want to give somebody the opportunity,” Cherry said. “It’s tough for coaches to go out and go all over the country, or all over the world in that aspect, and find these kids in these places, and sometimes they get overlooked. So, I want to give them the opportunity.”

Cherry said to make the team, players will need to be one of the top 18 players on the roster.

“If (a player doesn’t make the team), maybe it’s something they can develop and tryout again, but I just want to give the opportunity to see.”

The team’s first game is at 3 p.m. Friday at Lakeside Field against Oakland.

The match against Oakland will be the first of two matches this weekend for the Panthers, the second being on the road against Northern Illinois on Sunday.

The Panthers finished 6-12-1 last season, missing the Ohio Valley Conference tournament.

This season, the Panthers were picked to finish ninth in the pre-season voting.

Sophomore forward Hannah Miller was named to the College Sports Madness All-Ohio Valley Conference Pre-Season Second Team.

Miller had two goals and one assist last season.

Eastern Athletic Director Barbara Burke announced on Aug. 1 that last year’s assistant coach, Cherry, would be the team’s interim head coach following Summer Perala’s resignation in July.

This will be Cherry’s second year at Eastern.

Cherry named Tony Castelon as his assistant. Cherry and Castelon were assistants together at Western Illinois.

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