It was a difference of two halves for the Eastern women’s soccer team Sunday against Tennessee Tech at Lakeside Field.

After controlling the ball for nearly 75 percent of the first half and climbing to a quick 2-0 lead, Eastern fell asleep in the second half and almost let go of the game altogether.

But coach Steve Ballard said the important thing is they didn’t, and his team’s 2-1 win was just another learning experience to take into the rest of Ohio Valley Conference play.

“We relaxed and lost our edge,” Ballard said. “It’s just another thing that we can learn from in the future. The girls got the win and that’s really what’s important.”

Eastern came out quick, working the ball around the midfield to get the team’s first goal two minutes into the game. Senior forward Beth Liesen got the ball in the middle and had an option to both sides and made the right decision.

Liesen faked to the right and then slid the ball to the left to an open Sharyne Connell who rocketed a shot over Tech’s goalkeeper Lisa Wourms from about 16 yards out.

The Panthers (6-4-2, 2-0) put up another goal in the 25th minute on the effort from freshman Trisha Walter. The Alton native dashed down the right side of the field, beating her defender and making a cross that found a wide open Liesen in the box.

Liesen put the ball away for her 10th goal of the season.

“We just came out of the first half with a whole lot of intensity,” Connell said.

That intensity would turn around after Eastern took its 2-0 lead into halftime with a 10-1 shot advantage. And when coaches and players say a 2-0 lead is the worst lead to have, they are right.

Eastern came out slow in the second half and looked to be playing a defensive game instead of keeping up an attack that worked for the first 45 minutes.

The Golden Eagles (7-6, 1-1) were able to get some needed momentum about 15 minutes into the second half when Tech forward Joni Simmons hit an unassisted shot past a diving Tiffany Groene to cut the lead to 2-1.

“We just lost our focus,” Connell said. “They just dominated us at the end of the game.”

For the rest of the half, it went back and forth with both teams having scoring chances in each other’s boxes.

The Golden Eagles nearly tied the game with less than a minute remaining with the ball bouncing around in the Panthers’ box with several bodies surrounding it.

Groene eventually located the ball and smothered it to capture the victory.

Eastern also convincingly beat Morehead State 4-0 Friday, picking up its OVC opener. Liesen became Eastern’s all-time leading scorer, recording two goals and giving her 124 career points. The previous record was held by Beth Aussin who had 122 points.

Teri LaRoche had had the other two goals for Eastern, giving her her 4th goal of the season.

Groene started the game, playing 79 minutes while Lindsay Dechert cam in to complete the shutout.

Eastern next hosts a pair of games this weekend against new OVC schools Samford and Jacksonville State.