Wins and goals were hard to come by in 2016 for the Eastern women’s soccer team. Well, the Panthers started flipping the script for 2017 with a 2-0 season-opening win over IUPUI Friday.

The win marks the first time the Panthers opened the season with a win since 2010.

Eastern put together just a five-win season and scored 10 goals, while allowing 30 last season. One thing did remain the same though; the games that the Panthers win, are mostly shutouts.

Four of the Panthers’ wins in 2016 came by way of a shut out and opening this season with one is a positive start for a team that had its struggles in 2016.

The Panthers netted a goal in each half against the Jaguars with sophomore Sara Teteak recording five saves en route to the shutout.

Sophomore Sarah DeWolf got the scoring started at the 25:40 mark in the first half. Her goal was assisted by freshman Pilar Barrio. She scored on a diagonal ball from 14 yards out.

DeWolf scored one goal last year and notched one assist for a total of three points.

The second goal came late in the second half at 72:08 from junior Kate Olson assisted by senior Carrie Caplin. Olson scored one goal last season. Olson’s goal came off a lose ball after a restart.

Eastern fired 15 shots throughout the game, putting five on goal.

The scoring continued on Sunday for the Panthers in their matchup with Indiana State. It may have resulted in a 1-1 draw, but it is another game where Eastern still found the back of the net.

Eastern and Indiana State played 110 minutes, but neither team could break the tie. The Panthers had two shots in the overtime periods, one on goal, one not.

Indiana State fired five shots in overtime, only one getting on goal for a save by Teteak.

Both games were played on the road for Eastern.

Barrio stayed involved scoring Eastern’s goal, giving her three points on the season. In just two career games at Eastern, she is already coming up big for women’s soccer.

Indiana had a 1-0 lead after Katie Wells’ goal at the 33:34 mark. Barrio had the answer 15 minutes later.

The Panthers play their first home game Friday against Green Bay followed by a match with Milwaukee on Sunday.

Eastern plays the first month of the season out of the Ohio Valley Conference, but will pick it up Sept. 17 against Southern Illinois Edwardsville.

OVC play was not friendly to Eastern last year coming away with a 2-8 record, putting them in second-to-last in the OVC standings, finishing ahead of Tennessee-Martin, which went 1-9.

After the first weekend of the season, the Panthers come away with a 1-0-1 record. Eastern did not have a draw in the 2016 season.

The one win also matches the total number of wins that the Panthers had on the road in the 2016 season.

Sean Hastings can be reached at 581-2812 or smhastings@eiu.edu