Women’s soccer team improves record

The Eastern women’s soccer team is coming off a weekend split in which it lost to Tennessee-Martin on Friday, but won against Southeast Missouri in overtime on Sunday. The Panthers improve to 4-10 overall and 2-3 in the Ohio Valley Conference.

The win over Southeast Missouri was team’s third overtime win of the season.

The Panthers scored a total of four goals this weekend, giving them 14 goals on the season. The team’s 14 goals is tied for fifth in the OVC. Tennessee-Martin leads the conference with 27 goals this season. The Skyhawks scored five goals against the Panthers in their matchup last Friday, which is the most a team has scored against the Panthers since the team’s season opener against Iowa, who beat them 5-0.

Tennessee-Martin also leads the conference in goals per game, averaging 1.93, while the Panthers are tied for seventh with one goal per game. The Panthers have been shutout in seven games this season.

The Panthers next matches will be against Austin Peay and Murray State, both at Lakeside Field. Austin Peay is 6-7-0 overall and 2-2-0 in the OVC, while Murray State is 3-8-0 overall and 1-3-0 in the OVC.

Around the OVC

Junior forward Nikki Donnelly of Eastern Kentucky was named OVC Offensive Player of the Week following a game-winning goal against Jacksonville State, and a game-winning assist to freshman Mikala Ferguson against Tennessee Tech. The Colonels are unbeaten in the OVC.

Southern Illinois-Edwardsville’s Kourtney Price was named OVC Defensive Player of the Week after playing 180 minutes in the Cougar’s two shutout wins this weekend. She also scored the game-winning goal with less than three minutes remaining against Tennessee-Martin.

Southern Illinois-Edwardsville also took home another award, with freshman Jennifer Pelley being named OVC Goalkeeper of the Week. She had two shutouts in the Cougar’s two weekend games, making a combined five saves in each. She has six shutouts on the season, which leads the OVC and is sixth most in school history.

Dominic Renzetti can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].