EIU Athletic’s Results from Aug. 26-28:
GREEN BAY, Wisc. – In the final day of their season opening tournament at the Country Inn & Suites Green Bay Invitational, the Eastern Illinois volleyball team was set to face South Dakota State. The Jackrabbits won the match in straight-sets as the Panthers fell to 0-3 to begin the season. EIU will return to Charleston and host Butler in their 2016 home opener this Tuesday (Aug. 30) at 6 p.m.
The Panthers led at 1-0 and again at 3-2 to begin the first set as Gina Furlin started the game with an ace. After EIU scored their third point in the set, South Dakota State began to find their rhythm. The Jackrabbits would go on a pair of three-point runs and a four point run before a kill by Taylor Smith brought the Panthers within six points at 15-9. South Dakota State ended the first set scoring the final three points to take the first game by a score of 25-14.
A service error by South Dakota State in the early part of the second set appeared to give Eastern Illinois some momentum. The Panthers rattled off five-straight points highlighted by a Furlin kill and an ace by Hayley Richardson and led 6-3. South Dakota State began to chip away at the EIU lead and tied the set up at 8-8. The Jackrabbits began to pull away as they went on to score six of the next seven points to take a 14-9 lead. The Panthers tried to make a comeback of their own, as a Josie Winner kill cut the deficit to three points at 20-17. The Panthers found themselves trailing by just three points once more at 23-20, but South Dakota State would put the second set away at 25-20.
Just like the second set, the Panthers found themselves with an early lead to start the third set. Back-to-back kills by Smith and Maria Brown gave EIU their largest lead at 9-6. The Jackrabbits would once again use a pair of big runs to overtake the lead at 17-11. The Panthers attempted one final comeback as a kill by Katie Sommer and a South Dakota State error brought EIU within three points at 20-17. That would be as close as Eastern Illinois would get however as the Jackrabbits won the third and final set 25-20.
Winner and Brown paced the EIU offense as the pair posted seven kills each. Brown added nine digs to her match total. Lindsey Powers posted 12 digs to lead the Panthers.
Matt Jagodzinski
Champaign, Ill. – Eastern Illinois men’s soccer fell to Milwaukee 2-1 Sunday afternoon following a hectic second half that saw three yellow cards and three goals.
The match, which was originally scheduled to be EIU’s home opener, was moved to Champaign due to poor field conditions.
Justin Oliver scored the lone goal of the match for EIU netting his first goal of the season.
Junior goalkeeper Mike Novotny started in goal once again for EIU tallying three saves throughout the match.
It was a tight affair throughout the first half of the match as both teams combined for 12 shots in the opening period. Davis Wegmann had the best chance for EIU with a laser near the right post forcing a tremendous save from Milwaukee freshman keeper Oliver Haslund.
The first period ultimately came to a close with both teams tied 0-0.
Milwaukee struck first in the opening minutes of the second half as Nick Moon found Kostas Kotselas near the penalty area. Kotselas dribbled the ball towards the top of the box and fired a shot into the side netting to give Milwaukee a 1-0 lead in the 55th minute.
Oliver eventually brought the teams level after making a run down the right side and getting dragged down into the box earning EIU a penalty kick. Oliver drilled the PK into the back of the net to tie the match at 1-1 in the 61st minute.
EIU is perfect so far this season scoring on both penalty kicks throughout the first two matches of the season..
Kotselas proved to be the man of the match for Milwaukee as he sent a nice through ball to Francesco Saparito who was making a run into the box. Saparito took one touch and scored to put Milwaukee in front 2-1 in the 77th minute.
Zach Medawattage finished the match leading EIU with two shots, one on target. Julian Montoya and Wegmann finished the match with one shot on goal each. Alessandro Corti, Marcus Menniti, and Jonathan Huerta all recorded one shot.
EIU continues the season this coming Friday (Sept. 2) as they host Green Bay at 12 p.m. on Lakeside Field.
Nathan Bryant
NORMAL, Ill. – Eastern Illinois women’s soccer fell to 0-3 on the season as the Panthers were shut out on Sunday afternoon falling 4-0 at Illinois State. EIU returns to action Friday afternoon at Chicago State before hosting Indiana State for the Panthers home opener on Sunday.
Illinois State scored two goals within 33 seconds of each other midway through the first half as they dominated play on the offensive side of the field finishing with a 38-1 shots advantage.
Abby Basler scored the first goal of the match in the 28th minute finishing off a shot she sent on goal that was initially saved by Panthers starting goalkeeper Sara Teteak.
Kelli Zickert cleaned up a rebound 33 seconds later in the 29th minute after the first shot in the sequence was sent on goal by Lauren Koehl. Koehl was credited with the assist.
Kate Olson registered the Panthers lone shot on goal in the second half.
Koehl scored in the 59th minute on an assist from Brooke Ksiazek.
Brianne Richards capped the scoring in the 84th minute heading home a ball that was sent into the box by Kate Del Fava.
Rich Moser