The women’s soccer team has not given up on catching Samford for first place in the Ohio Valley Conference after an undefeated Homecoming Weekend.

First off, the Panthers defeated the Murray State squad they welcomed to Lakeside Field on Friday.

Eastern shut out the Racers by the final score of 2-0 and freshman forward Michelle Steinhaus recorded her first multi-goal game of her collegiate career as she was responsible for both of Eastern’s goals.

The two goals by Steinhaus on Friday raised her season total to five, before she added one more goal on Sunday’s match.

Eastern’s head coach Steve Ballard looks toward the familiarity that has been built around the three most dangerous offensive weapons he has utilized so far this season.

The big three that Ballard referred to includes forwards Steinhaus and Trisha Walter along with forward and midfielder Sharyne Connell.

“We have a threesome with those girls that is really combining well by this point in time,” Ballard said. “I think they’ve all gained confidence as the season has gone along and now are really a force to be reckoned with.”

Over the weekend Steinhaus accumulated three goals and two assists, while Walter totaled three assists and Connell balanced her play with one goal and one assist.

“We just work well together,” Connell said of her offensive partners. “Both Trish and I know now that Michelle is just going to flick the ball and we know that Trish can beat just about anybody out there.”

In the second game, Eastern defeated the last place Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks.

The Panthers defeated the Skyhawks, who still have yet to win a conference game this year, by the score of 3-1.

Eastern came out of the gate without any of Ballard’s big three in the starting lineup, and they struggled early as a result.

The Panthers played nearly 20 minutes without many of the usual offensive starters and the Skyhawks pressed the Panthers early on by taking the first few shots of the game.

Players like freshman Karisa Brenner, junior Lynne Goehler and sophomore Vicky Garrison started the game on the offensive end of the field for Eastern.

But after the substitutions took place at the 25 minute mark in the first half, Eastern rattled off the next handful of shots, a couple of which were tantalizingly close to finding the back of the net.

“We were a little flat when the game started, but that doesn’t mean the players who were playing can’t get the job done,” Ballard said. “But we did pick up the intensity when we subbed in the other girls and gave ourselves some more opportunities.”

Connell scored the first goal of the game and assisted on the second which was a cross to a nearly uncontested Steinhaus who barely had to move before rising in the air to meet Connell’s pass.

“About 90 percent of our goals are on crosses,” Connell said. “That is the way we beat people, we get the ball out wide and can attack from either side.

“Our speed and accuracy in passing situations like that makes us feel unstoppable sometimes.”

Eastern’s last goal was put in by freshman forward Kathleen Hayes, which put the game away after the Skyhawks made it a one-goal game after freshman forward Jamie Price scored.