In both of the Eastern women’s soccer team’s matches in the second week of Ohio Valley Conference play, it looked as if the Panthers might be heading to overtime.

The Panthers won their first match of the season against Belmont in overtime on Sept. 21 in Nashville, Tenn., and last season, the Panthers played a total of six matches in overtime or double overtime.

In both matches last Friday and Sunday, it appeared the Panthers might be heading back to the overtime shift, tied 0-0 in both matches 80 minutes into the game.

But in both matches, junior forward Meagan Radloff was able to find the back of the net to lead the Panthers to a pair of 1-0 wins over Morehead State and Eastern Kentucky.

In Friday’s match against Morehead State at Lakeside Field, the Eagles had more than doubled the Panthers’s shot total, outshooting the Panthers 18-7, but Radloff was able to put the ball in the back of the net in the 82nd minute.

“Just pressuring the defense and the ball happened to deflect into the perfect spot,” Radloff said.

Radloff watched the ball sail over the head of red-shirt sophomore goalkeeper Emily Floyd in what she described as slow motion.

“It was, like, going slow motion over the goalie,” she said. “It was a little nerve racking, but that’s OK.”

Radloff was coming off a two-goal performance on Sept. 29 against Tennessee Tech on her 21st birthday.

“Meagan Radloff just keeps on stepping up for us — opportunistic in that shot and it helped us win the game,” Eastern interim head coach Jason Cherry said.

Radloff and the Panthers hit the field again on Sunday against Eastern Kentucky for what would be the team’s fourth win of the season, putting Eastern at 4-0 in the OVC for the first time since the 2000 season.

Again, the Panthers found themselves scoreless late in the game, but a red card on Eastern Kentucky’s goalkeeper would create opportunities for the Panthers to take advantage.

The Panthers had plenty of opportunities all game, but wouldn’t score until the 87th minute.

“Coming with such short time left, we’re thinking we’re going into overtime, but just to finish it off, it’s such a great feeling,” Radloff said.

Radloff said the ball was deflected and she saw it come out and was able to put it in the net.

“I think it got deflected and I just saw it coming out at the top of the 18 and just shot it, hoping for the best,” she said.

Cherry called the win and the way the conference season started unbelievable.

“It’s what we wanted and we couldn’t imagine anything better, of course,” he said. “To win all four first conference games is huge for us.”

Radloff, a West Chicago native, was an OVC All-Newcomer in 2011, and is currently the team’s leading scorer.

The Panthers, who were picked to finish near the bottom of the OVC in the preseason polls, are currently in first place and have already tied their conference win total from last season, when they missed the tournament.

“We’re strong right now,” she said after the win over Morehead State. “We’re just going to keep continuing what we’re doing because it’s working. Hopefully we’ll get a couple more wins to ensure our spot in the tournament later.”

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