After the women’s soccer team lost its first match of the weekend Friday, assistant coach Jake Plant said the goal Sunday was to win.

A win Sunday would have ended the team’s five-match losing streak and scoreless streak for the same amount of games.

And it seemed like the Panthers were going to end the streaks Sunday against Morehead State.

With 25:06 left in the first half, sophomore midfielder Henar Urteaga scored from a few feet away after there was a brief scramble for the ball from Hannah Heinz’ long throw-in.

“That first goal back is important for the girls to start feeling good and reminding themselves that they can do it,” Plant said.

The assist was Heinz’ second on the season and the goal was Urteaga’s third on the season, making her tied as the leading scorer for Eastern with Kate Olson, Sarah DeWolf and Heinz.

Urteaga’s goal was the team’s first since Sept. 10 in its win against Western Illinois. Since then, the Panthers have lost six matches, including Sunday’s.

Five of the losses are against OVC opponents, making the Panthers’ conference record 0-5, putting Eastern in last place in the OVC.

Before Urteaga’s goal, the game was back-and-forth. A few minutes before the goal and after the goal, Eastern had started to control the pace of the game and control the ball for longer.

But 12 minutes later, freshman defender Haley Tausend fell as she tried to pass the ball back to goalkeeper Sara Teteak, allowing Morehead State defender Marisa Lavatori to take the ball and score just over Teteak’s out-stretched hand.

Another Eastern error 19 and a half minutes into the second half gave Morehead State the win.

Teteak mishandled the ball as it was rolling toward her and defender/midfielder Dani Wilson scored the Eagles’ second and game-winning goal.

“Yeah those mistakes sometimes happen, that’s just how soccer is, but we just go to keep pluggin’ away,” Plant said.

The Eagles added an insurance goal with 12 minutes left in the match after Lavatori played the ball to midfielder Cara Maher who scored off the break-away.

Friday, Eastern lost to Eastern Kentucky 2-0.  The two teams were matched in the first half, with neither team scoring, but the Colonels broke through with two goals in the second half, winning 2-0.

Dillan Schorfheide can be reached at 581-2812 or dtschorfheide@eiu.edu