Despite its best efforts, the Eastern women’s soccer team has been used to being down in matches so far this season, but in Sunday’s match against IUPUI the Panthers were down, but not out.

For the first time this year, Eastern was able to come back from a two-goal deficit against its opponent. Unfortunately for the Panthers were still unable to nab their first win of the season, but senior forward Meagan Radloff still acknowledged the improvement.

“We obviously were down in the second half like we have been for the past couple games, but we actually turned around in the second half rather than just hanging our heads,” she said. “They had a 2-0 lead and we ended up tying it. That’s something we haven’t done before, so that’s definitely an improvement, I’d say.”

After going down 2-0 in the second half, two penalty kick goals by Radloff and red-shirt junior Chris Reed brought the match to an even 2-2 score. IUPUI, however, was able to secure the match-winner just two minutes later for the 3-2 win.

Before Sunday’s match against IUPUI, the Panthers held a 1-0 lead in each of their last two matches against Missouri-Kansas City and Louisiana Tech. The Panthers were unable to hang on to both of those leads, but had never been able to come back in matches they did not have a lead.

Northern Kentucky jumped out to an early 3-0 lead by halftime in the season opener and the Panthers were never able to get anything going and lost 4-0. Against Indiana State, Eastern gave up no goals for the first 30 minutes of the half, but the Sycamores were able to score twice in the final 15 minutes for a 2-0 lead. The Panthers did not give up another goal in that match.

Eastern head coach Jason Cherry said he likes what coming back from two down says about the team.

“The kids we asked to come in were battling,” he said. “It shows that they have heart.”

Sunday’s match against IUPUI was the first time the Panthers and their opponent went into halftime at a 0-0 draw. It was also the first time the Panthers were tied in the second half. Cherry said the team will keep working in practice to be fit enough to finish matches.

“We practice to play 110 minutes on a Friday and then take a break and play 110 minutes on a Sunday, assuming that if we have to play two overtimes, we’re fit enough to play,” he said. “We’re going to keep working like that and hopefully those kids keep working hard.”

The Panthers play just once this weekend, taking on Wisconsin-Green Bay at 1 p.m. Sunday at Lakeside Field.

Around the OVC

After a record-breaking 15-goal performance the week before, Jacksonville State continued to pile on the offense last weekend with a 7-1 win over Jackson State on Friday.

Jacksonville State hammered the defending SWAC champions with four goals in the first half before Jackson State finally got on the board in the 74th minute. The goal snapped a 209-minute streak without giving up a goal for the Gamecocks.

Morehead State split its weekend, picking up a 4-1 win over Appalachian State on Friday, but losing 3-0 to Kentucky on Sunday.  The reigning Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year Jade Flory has five goals and two assists so far this season, while former OVC Freshman of the Year Angela Black, now in her sophomore season, has three goals and one assist.

Eastern Kentucky suffered the worst loss by any OVC team so far this season, losing to Cincinnati 9-0 on Friday.

The Colonels were down just 1-0 with 10 minutes to go in the first half, but allowed three goals in the last minutes of the half before giving up five more in the second half. Eastern Kentucky also lost 7-0 earlier this season to Alabama A&M.

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