The Panther women’s soccer team was a club on the rebound Sunday, blanking IUPU-Indianapolis 4-0. The win came after Eastern dropped its Ohio Valley Conference opener Saturday to Southeast Missouri, 1-0 .

“I was really glad with the way we came back (Sunday) after a tough loss on Friday,” Panther head coach Steve Ballard said. “We played very well as a team.”

Junior Cara LeMaster had a pair of goals in the game while freshman Sara Johnson added a goal. Sophomore forward Beth Liesen picked up her OVC-leading 13th goal of the season in the win.

“It was great to bounce back after a very hard loss,” Liesen said. “And to win 4-0 is even better. They were a pretty good team, but played together and did what we had to do to win.”

In cold and rainy conditions on Friday, it was a bad break that cost the Panthers (7-2, 0-1) their showdown against the Otahkians (9-0, 1-0), Eastern’s No. 1 contender for the conference championship.

“It was a lucky goal,” Liesen said of SEMO’s game-winner that slipped by freshman goalie Lindsay Dechert. “(Dechert) slipped and the ball took a bad bounce and skipped right over her. On a normal day, our keeper makes that play easily. But that the way it goes sometimes.”

Eastern out-shot SEMO 13-9 in the game, but it was Otahkian Erica Todd’s skip shot at the 75:52 mark that determined the outcome.

“It was a slick surface and they got the goal late in the game when they needed it,” Ballard said. “Unfortunately the only statistic that matters is the score and they got that one.”

Had the game been scored like a boxing bout, the Panthers would have come away with the decision, had it not been for Todd’s knockout blow.

“We definitely knew it was going o be a good, close game all around,” said Liesen, who led Eastern with six shots on goal in the game. “We dominated most of the game, that’s why it’s so frustrating that they got the goal.

“But we know we can play with them, and now it’s just a matter of preparing for the conference tournament.”

Liesen said the loss gives the two-time Ohio Valley Conference champions something to shoot for come tourney time.

“In a way this is good because we have something to look forward to,” she said. “Now we can come back and get that revenge.”