Steve Kuehn was able to return to Eastern as the starting placekicker this summer a more comfortable and relaxed player.

Kuehn started the 2002 season in the Aloha state by splitting the uprights on a 39-yard attempt against 1-A Hawaii. Panther fans had no way of knowing that would be his longest conversion of the season and his young career.

“Last year I was scared and this year I’m not at all,” Kuehn said. “My teammates are still really supportive of me after last year. Last year has been erased from my mind completely.”

The sophomore Arlington Heights native who set the Hersey High School record by kicking three field goals in a game only managed to match that figure in nine attempts last season.

“I haven’t seen that consistency in his accuracy yet,” Spoo said. “He has to show considerable improvement this season.”

Kuehn’s freshman season from hell included being 0-for-3 from beyond 40 yards and his struggles included missing 12 extra-points.

To immediately recover from last season’s troubles, Kuehn turned to a friend near his hometown who happens to be the the starting kicker for Northwestern.

“I began working with him and realized that I was simply over-kicking last season,” Kuehn said. “He said they would kick around 100 times a week and (sophomore punter) Tom (Schofield) and I were kicking like 100 times a day.”

Kuehn’s summer of 2003 has been non-stop hard work in what he thought would be a battle for the kicker position in fall drills.

“I know he works incredibly hard at it every day,” Spoo said.

Panther coaches went so far to invite recruited freshman walk-on Matt Johann from Canton to compete with Kuehn and inject some spirited competition to the position.

“It really helps me to have Matt here because last year I had nobody to critique me and we help each other technique wise,” Kuehn said.

To possibly further complicate the upcoming task for Kuehn, the sophomore will be working all year long with a new long snapper (red-shirt freshman Eric Johnson) and a new holder (starting quarterback Andy Vincent).

However, Panther fans can be optimistic that a new set of personnel during extra points and field goals might make the difference.

“(Eric) is my roommate so that is a really cool thing we share,” Kuehn said. “And Andy and I worked last season so it shouldn’t be a problem.”

No matter what, Kuehn realizes he may need to spilt the uprights for the Panthers to win a third consecutive Ohio Valley Conference title . He may be ready for the challenge.

“It’s something I dream about everyday and I would love to have the opportunity to win the game with a late kick,” Kuehn said.