Through two weekends of conference play, the OVC standings are becoming clearer.

Eastern is occupying second place, trailing only Southern Illinois Edwardsville. The Panthers are also one of just four OVC teams to have at least two conference wins.

Their overall record of 3-5-3 is the fourth-worst in the OVC, but conference results are the most important. 

Also exemplifying this is Southern Illinois Edwardsville, which has only four wins but three in conference play.

The only other OVC teams with multiple wins are Tennessee-Martin and Murray State.

Eastern played Murray State on Sept. 21, falling 2-1. The Racers have won the OVC each of the last three years, and their 2-1 conference record puts them within striking distance of a fourth consecutive title.

Tennessee-Martin has the best overall record in the OVC at 7-2, but they have only played two conference matches this season. They won both. 

Tennessee-Martin leads the conference in points (60), goals (23) and shots (193).

They have also allowed nine goals, the fewest in the conference. Tennessee-Martin has played three goalkeepers this season, two of them getting the bulk of the work. 

Sophomore Erica Myers has played in six games, starting five, and has allowed five goals. Her goals against average of .91 is the second-best in the OVC. 

Senior Makenzie Crawford has played in and started four games, allowing four goals. Her goals against average is 1.22, the fifth-best in the OVC. 

The Skyhawks are led in goals by sophomore Jaden Hildreth, who has 4. Hildreth is the leader of a well-balanced offensive attack.

Nine different Tennessee-Martin players have scored a goal this season, the most of any team in the OVC. 

Of those nine, eight players have scored at least two goals, also the most in the OVC. Four of those eight players have three or more goals, again the most in the OVC. 

Eastern will host Tennessee-Martin on Sunday. But before that they will face Belmont, the only OVC team that has not been mentioned that has a winning conference record. 

The Bruins are 1-0-1 in OVC play this year. They have the second-most balanced offense in the OVC behind Tennessee-Martin. Eight Bruins have scored a goal this season, but only one player has multiple goals: Sophomore forward Julie Garst leads the team with three goals. 

Currently, the worst record in the OVC belongs to Southeast Missouri at 0-3. They have been outscored 6-1 in conference play. As a team, they have scored just three goals in eight total games and have allowed 18, the second-most in the conference. 

Eastern will host them at Lakeside Field on Oct. 11, which is the Panthers’ final home match of the season. 

Adam Tumino can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected]