Eastern enters Green Bay in search of win
Three of the four teams in this weekend’s Green Bay Phoenix Tournament are all seeking their first wins of the season.
Eastern (0-2), Northern Iowa (0-2) and host Green Bay (0-1-1) are all winless through the first week of the season and hoping to make a step in the right direction this weekend in Green Bay.
The only team without a zero in the win column is Western Illinois (1-1), which is coming off perhaps one of its biggest wins in program history after the Aug. 23, 2-1 double overtime win against Northwestern.
That was Western’s first ever win over a Big Ten team following senior defender Kristin Becker’s game-winner.
For Eastern, the tournament comes following a weekend in which the Panthers gave up eight goals in two matches against Oakland and Northern Illinois.
The Panthers started two different goalkeepers in each of their last two matches: sophomore Emily Hinton and red-shirt freshman Kylie Morgan, but interim head coach Jason Cherry is not saying who will get the nod this weekend.
“As of the moment, the goalkeeper situation is a game-time decision,” Cherry said.
The team’s first matchup will be at 2 p.m. Friday against Northern Iowa, a team that beat Eastern 2-1 in double overtime at Lakeside Field last season.
“Last year, we were up 1-0 at halftime and they were able to battle back and tie the game towards the end of regulation,” Cherry said. “They play with great urgency and determination and are a team that plays with a sense of passion.”
Northern Iowa has dropped its last two matches against Ball State and IPFW.
Sophomore midfielder Maggie Riley has Northern Iowa’s only goal of the season so far.
The team’s leading scorer from last season, junior midfielder Charlotte Jones, has not appeared in either of the team’s first two matches or the team’s Aug. 13 exhibition against Viterbo.
Jones had three shots on goal against Eastern last year and totaled four goals in 2012.
Northern Iowa has also been splitting time between its goalies.
Senior Nicole Postal and red-shirt freshman Whitney Blunt each played in one half of the team’s previous two games.
Postal has started both games, allowing one goal so far this season.
Blunt has allowed three goals this season, with both goalkeepers totaling three saves each.
“UNI is a very competitive team that plays until the last whistle,” Cherry said. “They are technically sound on the ball and very smart in their decision making.”
Eastern’s second match will be at 2 p.m. Sunday against host Green Bay.
The Phoenix enter the tournament following a 1-1 draw against IUPUI and a 3-0 loss against Ball State. Cherry said from his experience against Green Bay, the Phoenix would be a solid opponent.
“Green Bay has always been a team that is very structured and disciplined,” he said. “They are very organized in their attack and play fundamentally sound. They are a team that does not make mistakes, however, are excellent at capitalizing on their opponent’s mistakes.”
Senior forward Helka Palmadottir has Green Bay’s lone goal of the season.
The Ireland native started 10 games for the Phoenix last season.
Sophomore goalkeeper Nastacia Behle has started both of the team’s last two matches.
Eastern and Northern Iowa begin the open tournament at 2 p.m. Friday in Green Bay.
Western Illinois and Green Bay will follow at 4 p.m. Play will resume on Sunday with Northern Iowa and Western Illinois at 11 p.m., with Eastern and Green Bay following at 2 p.m.
The tournament will be shown free of charge online via greenbayphoenix.com.
Dominic Renzetti can be reached at 581-2812 or dcrenzetti@eiu.edu.