The Eastern men’s soccer team got a much needed conference win Sunday with a 2-0 win against IPFW.

Eastern improved its record to 3-10-1 with a 1-3-1 conference record and IPFW fell to 4-7-2 and 2-3 in conference play.

Captain Jake Brillhart scored the first goal of the game in the tenth minute off of a pass from Nick Smith. Brillhart took the shot off of the direct pass and hit it to the corner of the net.

Freshman Dominic Recca also scored for Eastern in the 37^th minute. He scored off of a loose ball from a deflection. Recca and Brillhart each recorded their fourth goal of the season. They are the leading goal scorers for Eastern.

Freshman Mike Novotny earned his first shutout of his career in the 2-0 win. His record is now 2-8 after the four save performance. He has 43 saves this year and has given up 17 goals.

IPFW played two goalies in the losing effort. Raphael Kotzock played the first half and gave up the two goals. Cody Scweitzer played the second half and did not let up a goal, making two saves.

Eastern outshot Fort Wayne 16-9. Fort Wayne had the advantage in corner kicks with six to Eastern’s three.

Eastern head coach Mark Hansen sees some changes that need to be made despite the win.

“Communication between the team in the second half when they start changing formation, we have to do a better job communicating with them from the sideline.”

Hansen liked what he saw from today’s performance.

“In the situation that we are in we needed to get the win today to keep our conference hopes alive and we did that,” he said. “Now we’re in a position where we could potentially still control are destiny after next week.”

Eastern has a break from conference play the next two games.

“With the bye week in conference next weekend we will sit around and watch some results and see what position we are in going into Oral Roberts,” Hansen said. “At least we’ve done enough to make that game on November eighth mean something.”

Hansen thought it was a whole team effort that got them to victory.

“I think it was just a commitment from the whole team to do what we wanted to do,” he said. “We knew they were good in possession and we were okay with consuming possession in our own half. We did well to keep our shape and transitioned well.

I think in the first half we took the game to them.”

Eastern travels to Northern Kentucky on Wednesday.

Mark Shanahan can be reached at 581-2812 or mmshanahan@eiu.edu.