The Eastern men’s soccer team heads back to Lakeside Field for the next couple games, where Eastern has played well so far this season.

The Panthers have two losses this year, but on home turf they are still undefeated with a 1-0-2 record.

The last two games against Marshall and Evansville, Eastern has been shut out twice, as it rides a two-game losing streak, after going the first six games without a loss.

While the defense has allowed five goals in the last two games, senior goalkeeper Mike Novotny ranks eighth in the NCAA in shutouts with four, first in total saves with 54, and Novotny ranks second in total saves per game with 6.75.

Novotny, being one of the leaders of the team, wants to keep up the results

“It’s a pretty cool feeling knowing I’m up there on a few of them,” Novotny said “My goal is to try and keep that consistent to help the team get some more results under our belt”

With a two-game home stand coming up, Novotny says home turf is crucial

“Every game is a fresh start and definitely coming back home to our field the intensity will be high,” Novotny said” You never want to concede a goal on your home turf.”

Eastern and Wright State will meet for the 12th time in program history. The Panthers have an all-time series record of 5-6-0 and looks to even things out in Tuesday’s match.

In last year’s meeting, Eastern lost to the Raiders in Dayton, Ohio in a low scoring 1-0 match, with Wright State senior Eric Lynch scoring the lone goal.

Wright State extended its winning streak to three games, with its recent win against University of Illinois Chicago 2-0 Saturday night.

The Raiders played well on home turf with a 2-1 record, but on the road is where they have lost both of their games this season.

Eastern has not been able to put the ball in the back of the net in the last two games, and Wright State has not allowed a goal during its three-game winning streak.

A.J Paterson has been one of the Raiders’ better players this season, as he leads his team in goals with four, and points with eight, while he also ranks second on his team with 13 shots.

Sophomore goalkeeper Joel Sundell for Wright State also has four shutouts, like Eastern goalie Mike Novotny, but Sundell only played in 650 minutes, while Novotny leads the NCAA in minutes with 800.

The Panthers have had their fair share of draws this season, as they are just one away from tying their Summit League record for five, but at the same time are just one goal away from turning those draws into wins.

Since joining the Summit League the Panthers have had three seasons where they played five matches in overtime.

Vince Lovergine can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected]