After Tuesday’s 2-1 loss to Morehead State ended the Eastern women’s soccer team’s season, head coach Tim Nowak wanted to make one more point before it was all said and done.

“Our three seniors have been great role models both as women and as soccer players,” Nowak said after the loss.

He wasn’t asked about the play of his seniors, but felt strongly enough about them that he wanted to make a point to say something about them, and reasonably so.

Forward Pam Melinauskas, and defenders Ashley Slota and Lindsey Wilkening were the only three seniors on this year’s team.

The Panthers had an extremely young team with six freshmen, one red-shirt freshman and five sophomores.

They needed leadership, and the three seniors provided it.

The underclassmen were always quick to bring up the leadership qualities of the three seniors on the team.

Nowak was the same.

Any time he was asked about players who provided leadership, he brought up the seniors. He did that again Tuesday night.

“It’s always sad to see seniors finish their careers no matter how many wins and losses they have,” Nowak said. “(Melinauskas, Slota, and Wilkening) have been a pleasure to have and are the type of people who you not only want to coach but want to know.

I’m proud to have been able to spend the last four years coaching them.”

The three seniors’ leadership was evident both in practices as well as matches.

Melinauskas was the most vocal of the three and was often yelling out directions to players on the field.

Slota was a leader through her consistency. Until an injury made her sit out the regular season finale against Illinois State, she had compiled the second longest streak of consecutive starts in Eastern history. While Wilkening’s role on the team was not as prominent, her role as a leader was no less important than that of her fellow seniors.

Their play on the field often backed up their leadership abilities. Melinauskas finished with the team lead in goals scored, points, shots and shots on goal. Wilkening scored her first career goal in the team’s loss to Illinois State and also registered an assist.

Slota’s name didn’t often show up on a stat sheet because she played as a defender on the back line, but her consistency was always key to the Panthers. She played 1,533 minutes this season, the fourth most on the team.

So while the Panthers’ season ended in heartbreaking fashion with Tuesday night’s loss, Nowak was proud of his team and particularly of his seniors.

It’s rare to have a team with so many solid leaders on it. One or two is typically the norm especially on a team as young as this year’s Panthers.

Nowak was lucky to break the norm and have three.

Collin Whitchurch can be reached at 581-7944 or at [email protected].