Eastern may have caught lightning in a bottle with one of its newest team members.

Forward Jackson Liley scored two goals in his first two games to begin his college career. He scored the opener in Eastern’s 3-0 win over the University of Chicago and the lone Eastern goal in its 5-1 defeat to Detroit Mercy.

Liley could’ve had three goals in his first three games as well. He scored in the 77th minute against Purdue Fort Wayne. However, it was ruled offsides.

That decision was a footnote in Oakley’s critique of the officiating after the game, but he still made sure to praise Liley’s effort.

“I think that he’s a player that can come on and turn games with his speed,” Oakley said. “I think the biggest attribute that he brings is some pace and some energy.”

Liley scoring goals is nothing new to him.

At Lowell High School in Michigan, he was the team’s leading goal scorer during the one season that he played for them. He was also the leading goal scorer for his club team, Midwest United, in the two seasons that he spent there.

Liley’s love for soccer was sparked at 9 years old, when his family abruptly moved to the Isle of Wight, a small island off the south coast of England. In the two years that Liley spent in England, he was inspired by the attitude of the fans toward soccer.

He was amazed by the atmosphere at games in the Premier League, the top soccer league in England. He said that he had his eyes opened by the fans’ emotion at games, something that he says is hard to find in most American sports.

“It kind of got me a whole different viewpoint and how passionate people are about [soccer] on the other side,” Liley said. “It’s almost more passionate over there than in any sport that I’ve seen [here].”

When Liley returned to the U.S., he decided to make soccer his main sport. While he still played basketball in high school, his focus was on the sport that he had been amazed by for the last two years in England.

Liley said that he committed to Eastern because of the opportunity to play at a Division I school as a freshman. He said that Eastern was right for him because the opportunities were there, but they wouldn’t come easy.

Just like his prep career, he’d have to work hard for everything.

Redshirt junior defender Ben Martin is, like Liley, a new player for Eastern. Martin said that Liley’s mentality sets him up for success.

“He’s obviously a freshman, [but] he’s come in very confident,” Martin said. “He backs his abilities, he knows what he’s good at, he sticks to it and he’s been pushing harder and harder in training. He’s a great lad and a great player as well. He deserves everything that he’s getting.”

For Liley, he will have to wait and see where his career takes him. He says that it’s his dream to return to England one day to play soccer but is focused on what’s immediately ahead of him.

“I hope to stay at Eastern Illinois for four years,” Liley said. “I hope that I can have an amazing experience with coach Oakley and the rest of the guys here.”

Gabe Newman can be reached at 581-2812 or at ghnewman@eiu.edu.