Coming off a 0-4 first-half of the season, the Eastern rugby team will be facing the Davenport University Panthers in Grand Rapids, Mich., on Saturday.

This will be the first time Eastern will be facing Davenport and Senior Shelby Pilch said this is a must-win game.

“It’s the midpoint of our season and it is a perfect time to turn things around,” Pilch said. “We have no other choice than to come away with a win.”

In its inaugural season, Davenport has won its first three games and outscored opponents 199-5.

Pilch said the team’s off week could not have come at a better time.

“It has allowed us to heal physically and mentally lock into our game plan for this weekend,” she said. “We have to be able to work on and perfect our strengths and weaknesses. There are no excuses why we shouldn’t go out there and win this weekend. Coach has prepared us well. Things are really starting to click.”

Eastern is facing a losing season for the first time since Frank Graziano has been the coach of the team.

Graziano said his team does not have to change the style of play in order to win on Saturday, but simply the players have to execute it.

“That is where the breakdown is,” Graziano said. “Whether it is a lack of confidence on gameday, I think that is part of it. We are still struggling. We are a good practice team. We just haven’t made the transition yet.”

With the exception of Ellen Wilson and Kim Youhas, who are playing the lock position, everyone on the team is either new or playing a new position.

Graziano said being nervous is part of the reason the players are having a lack of confidence on game day.

“It is going to take some internal fortitude on their part to look at themselves and say ‘I can do this,’ Graziano said. “Even though yelling it on the sideline, it still has to come from within. I am certainly their biggest fan and their biggest cheerleader. Until they actually do it and prove it to themselves in the middle of the game, it still becomes part of an unknown.”

Pilch said the team is very confident heading into Saturday’s game.

“We feel much more prepared to cross that ‘bridge’ we have yet to cross as a team,” she said. “We have to take what we learned and executed these past few weeks and put it on the playing field, where it matters most. We have to improve our tackling. We will win if we play defense.”

Bob Reynolds can be reached at 581-2812 or rjreynolds@eiu.edu