The Eastern Illinois women’s soccer team has officially wrapped up non-conference play as it will take on its first Ohio Valley Conference opponent, SIUE, Thursday at 1 p.m. at Lakeside Field.
The Panthers are 1-4-2 overall and are on a two-game losing streak under first year head coach Dirk Bennett.
One of the non-conference wins for the Panthers came against Illinois Springfield back in August. An abundance of freshman Panthers shined on the field.
Freshman forward Abby Reinl was able to set up fellow freshman forward Katiebeth May for a goal and then later in the match, May found Reinl and Reinl was able to secure a goal.
Reinl leads the Panthers offensively. She has played 460 minutes this season and has scored six goals. May is second offensively as she has played 187 minutes this season and has scored three goals.
Alex Tetteh, another freshman forward for the Panthers, was also able to score a goal against USI. Tetteh is sixth offensively for the Panthers and she has played 366 minutes this season, scoring two goals.
Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Ashlyn Hoover made three saves to help secure the win for the Panthers. Hoover leads the Panthers in goalkeeping as she has played six games this season, recording 17 saves.
In non-conference play, the Panthers scored six goals total and took 43 shots, averaging 6.1 shots per game.
The Panthers have allowed their opponents 90 shots total, averaging 12.9 shots allowed per game. As for saves, the Panthers had 31 while their opponents had 14.
Last season, the Panthers were last in the OVC with a 0-4-4 record. The Cougars were second with a 5-1-2 record.
The Cougars were 2-4-1 during their non-conference portion of the season. Sophomore midfielder Taryn Moore and junior midfielder Kasey Neidhardt are tied offensively for the Cougars, both scoring three goals apiece.
Redshirt junior Taylor Spiller has played seven games this season and has recorded 29 saves.
The Panthers will play nine OVC matches this season with the OVC Tournament scheduled to begin Oct. 27.
Autumn Schulz can be reached at 581-2812 or at densportsdesk@gmail.com.
