Two familiar and two unfamiliar teams represent the final four in the 2003 Ohio Valley Conference women’s soccer tournament.

A year ago, Samford and Jacksonville State were battling in the Atlantic Sun Conference while Eastern and Southeast Missouri were playing for the OVC championship in Cape Girardeau, Mo.

Though the teams were in different places last season, they all have the same goal this season – an OVC tournament crown and a trip to the Women’s College Cup.

“It would be fantastic to go to the College Cup, but that’s a long way for us right now,” Samford coach Todd Yelton said. “All four teams have a great chance to win it.”

Eastern will meet Jacksonville State while tournament host Samford plays fifth-seeded SEMO in a Friday double-header.

The Gamecocks had to get by Tennessee Tech Tuesday to meet Eastern, and the Otahkians beat Tennessee-Martin 2-0 for a chance in the semifinals. The Panthers and Bulldogs each had first round byes.

Samford has spent the extra days off to rest a little bit and recover from a long OVC season. Yelton said come game time his team will be prepared in its first OVC tournament game.

“We are trying to get a little rest and trying to stay focused,” Yelton said. “The one thing you can’t control is effort.”

While teams like SEMO and Eastern expect to be in this position each year, Jacksonville State is just excited to get the opportunity to be considered amongst the best teams in the conference.

“We were really excited to host a tournament game on our new field, and now, being in the semifinals, we are confident and excited,” Jacksonville State coach Lisa Howe said. “We feel like we deserve this opportunity.”

Howe knows the Gamecocks’ game against Eastern will be much different than playing Tennessee Tech, though.

“As far as playing Eastern, a team with all that experience, we know it’s not going to be like last night’s game,” Howe said. “Eastern has been one of the best in the league and will be tough.”

Yelton is also proud of his team’s efforts and is excited to get a chance to play SEMO, which has been a conference powerhouse the past couple seasons. He is also sleeping easier knowing they get home field advantage.

“Anytime you have the opportunity to play at home, that is a huge relief,” Yelton said. “We are very fortunate to be where we are.”

Panther coach Steve Ballard said he is not surprised by how well Jacksonville State and Samford have done in their first season’s in the OVC.

“We knew going into the season that they were going to be good,” Ballard said. “They are very good universities and they have excellent athletic programs. The whole conference is just competitive.”