Eastern fell to Eastern Kentucky 3-0 at home Friday to drop to 1-5-1 in OVC play and 3-11-2 overall this season.

Eastern surrendered their first goal of the game in the 41st minute by way of a penalty kick. Eastern Kentucky then scored goals in the 55th and 79th minutes.

Coach Jason Cherry said his team executed their game plan throughout the game, but Eastern Kentucky was just the better team during the game.

“I thought we came out and played very well,” Cherry said. “We just didn’t match their energy and desire.”

Eastern managed to take 5 shots during the game with one being on goal. They also recorded just one corner kick attempt offensively.

“We had a hard time getting things going,” Cherry said. “We came out flat and didn’t connect on our passes well.”

Eastern sophomore forward Madi Fisher led the team in shot attempts with two and had the team’s lone on-goal attempt.

Forward senior Molly Hawkins, freshmen defenders Kate Olson and Kayla Stolfa combined to add the other three.

Defensively, Eastern had a strong first half, but lost the momentum in the second.

Eastern Kentucky managed 16 shots, 12 of which were on goal, which means they played an accurate and efficient game that Eastern struggled to keep up with.

“I thought we ended up chasing the game,” Cherry said.

Despite allowing three goals during the game, freshman goalkeeper Maddie Lyon made nine saves, including six in the first half.

In the recent stretch of home games, Lyon recorded three regulation shutouts and just four total goals in the four games. She also averaged about seven saves per game during that stretch.

Cherry said he was satisfied with play of center back junior Emily Wolf, who was in for the injured red-shirt junior Lindsey Marino.

Eastern also showed discipline as a team, as they usually do, but playing a clean game without a single booking and just two offside calls.

With the loss, Eastern ends their four-game home stand with a record of 1-2-1, which included two shutouts defensively.

Cherry said his team will move on from the loss and look ahead to the games that remain on the schedule.

“We will have to just regroup and get prepared for the next game,” Cherry said.

To this point, Eastern is up to four points in OVC play, placing them at the bottom of the standings.

Eastern will have a chance to end their two-game slide and get back into winning form as they visit Austin Peay Friday at 7 p.m.

Austin Peay will enter the game at 2-5 in OVC play, 6-9 overall, and on a four-game losing streak.

Elias Albert can be reached at 581-2812 or at ewalbert@eiu.edu