The EIU men’s soccer team is eyeing a playoff push after their victory last Sunday.
The Panthers have five games left before the Ohio Valley Conference tournament.
Four of those games are at Lakeside Field.
“Being at our home field with everyone here to support us helps us a lot,” senior forward Fabricio Roberti said.
With Eastern’s 2-0 win over Incarnate Word on Sunday, the Panthers (2-7-2, 1-3-1) believe they can still make some noise in the back end of the regular season.
“The boys look more united, more focused and happier,” head coach Ruy Vaz said. “It’s a matter of being locked in and concentrated for 90 minutes.”
Eastern currently sits in seventh place in the OVC and will need to finish in sixth place or higher to secure a spot in the tournament.
The first game of the Panthers’ final stretch will be a home game against Liberty on Thursday.
The Flames (7-3-3, 3-1-1) are tied for first in the OVC and notably handed Lindenwood its first defeat of the season on Sunday. Liberty is one of the higher scoring teams in the OVC, while Eastern has only scored in four out of 11 games so far this season.
“The plan is to play as intense as possible,” Vaz said. “If we match the intensity, it increases our chance of being successful.”
On Sunday, the Panthers were able to put a lot of offensive pressure on Incarnate Word’s defense.
This offensive approach has been a major point of emphasis throughout the season for Eastern, but the team has previously struggled to turn that pressure into points. Against Incarnate Word, Eastern’s offensive aggression was on full display. Eastern finished with a total of 16 shots and nine shots on target.
Roberti was an OVC notable performer for his play on Sunday, taking three shots and scoring the opening goal for the Panthers. He started the season as a defender but has recently made the switch to forward.
“I’ve never played as a striker before,” Roberti said. “Ending up scoring makes it all worth it.”
Fifth year midfielder Ben Griffis scored the second goal to seal the victory early in the second half.
The Panthers’ attack was spread throughout the team, with seven players taking shots.
The defense of the Panthers also shined in Sunday’s game, with Incarnate Word not getting a shot off during the entirety of the first half.
“It was a change in the triggers,” Vaz said. “We can’t just press right away; there has to be a trigger.”
Junior goalkeeper Franco Barba is no longer on the roster, according to Vaz.
Redshirt sophomore Lucas Ortiz made his third start for the Panthers after playing in only one game last season.
“Ortiz is a great communicator,” Vaz said. “He’s been here for three years. He knows the program, and he has the pride of being a Panther.”
Ortiz kept a clean sheet on Sunday, keeping out both of the Cardinals’ shots on target.
After Liberty, Eastern will take on Southern Indiana in a doubleheader with the women’s soccer team.
Thursday’s game is set for a 3 p.m. kickoff.
Jacksen Adkins can be reached at 581-2812 or jdadkins2@eiu.edu.
