The Eastern women’s soccer team started its Ohio Valley Conference schedule this weekend with a pair of wins over Belmont and Tennessee Tech.

The Panthers, who scored just two goals in their nine non-conference losses, are a perfect 2-0 to start OVC play.

The Panthers opened against Belmont on Friday in Nashville, Tenn. The teams were scoreless after the first 90 minutes, but sophomore Molly Hawkins scored her first career goal in the 92nd minute to give Eastern its first win of the season.

The Panthers have now beaten Belmont twice since the Bruins joined the OVC last season. Both wins have come in overtime.

Eastern returned to Lakeside Field on Sunday to host Tennessee Tech, where two goals from junior Meagan Radloff led the Panthers to a 4-2 win.

Tennessee Tech’s Katie Phillips opened the match with a goal in the 21st minute, giving the Golden Eagles a 1-0 lead. The Eastern offense would then explode for three goals in less than five minutes.

Radloff started it off for the Panthers in the 38th minute, putting one past Tennessee Tech goalkeeper Jordan Brown.

Junior Allie Lakie would score in the 39th minute, followed by another goal from sophomore Hannah Miller.

The Panthers entered the second half with a 3-1 lead, but Tennessee Tech would inch back with a goal from Taylor Blazei.

Radloff would seal the win with a late goal in the 85th minute.

Radloff, who was celebrating her 21st birthday on Sunday, said things are finally coming together for the Panthers.

“After a rough (non) conference, it feels awesome,” she said. “I feel like everything just came together in the last two games.”

Interim head coach Jason Cherry, who started off the season with the team’s worst losing streak in program history, now becomes the first Eastern women’s soccer coach to win his first two career OVC matches.

“It’s phenomenal to start 2-0 in conference, especially after the rough start in non-conference,” Cherry said. “It just shows you the mentality of this team and the character of these girls to keep fighting.”

Cherry said that the start of the OVC portion of the schedule is almost like a new season and also added that right now, the Panthers are a new team and that the players see it that way, too.

“Before conference, we sat down and talked as a team and discussed the importance of conference and each game and trying to go out and the road steal a point,” he said. “They went out to Belmont and got three crucial points with a team that made the tournament last year, and now they’re undefeated for the weekend, 2-0 and on top of the table.”

Sophomore Cortney Jerzy started in goal for the Panthers. She made three saves against Tennessee Tech.

Cherry had originally planned on starting red-shirt freshman Kylie Morgan, but an injury to Morgan has held her back.

Sophomore Emily Hinton started against Valparaiso, while Jerzy started the first two OVC matches.

“(Morgan) is still coming back,” Cherry said. “We’ll assess it day by day and see where this week leads.”

Cherry said he was still impressed with the way Jerzy played.

Red-shirt freshman Paige DeThorne left the match against Tennessee Tech with a knee injury. She did not return. Cherry had no updates on her status after the match. DeThorne did not play last season and has appeared in 10 matches this year.

The Panthers will take on Morehead State and Eastern Kentucky this Friday and Sunday. Both matches are at Lakeside Field.

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