RICHMOND, Ky. – The Eastern Kentucky University soccer team will travel west to play a pair of pivotal conference road games this weekend. The Colonels will face Eastern Illinois on Friday at 4:00 p.m. ET and SIUE on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. ET.
WHAT TO KNOW Eastern Illinois: Live Stats I Live Video
SIUE: Live Stats I Live Video- EKU (2-4-0 OVC) enters the weekend tied with three other teams (Austin Peay, Belmont and UT Martin) for sixth place in the conference standings with six points.
Click here for complete OVC standings.
- The top six teams at the conclusion of the regular season advance to the OVC Tournament.
- The Colonels allowed only one goal in 182 minutes of action last week.
- That one goal came in the 92
nd minute of Thursday's 1-0 overtime loss to Southeast Missouri, a game that was played at Transylvania University's Pat Deacon Stadium.
- EKU rebounded on Sunday by blanking UT Martin, 2-0, on Senior Day at EKU Soccer Field. Sophomore
Emmi Carroll scored a pair of second-half goals to lead the Colonels to victory.
- Senior goalkeeper
Samm Melton, making her first start since September 13, made six saves to earn her first shutout of the season.
- It was Eastern's first win over UT Martin since the 2011 season.
- The Colonels will look to pick up critical conference points this weekend against two teams below them in the conference standings.
- EIU (1-4-1 OVC) lost its first three OVC games of the year but has gone 1-1-1 since. The Panthers upset Tennessee Tech, 1-0, last Friday and have allowed only one goal in their last three matches (a 1-0 loss to Morehead State last Sunday).
- Eastern Illinois is paced offensively by Molly Hawkins, who has seven goals and two assists on the year.
- EKU is 4-7-0 all-time versus EIU; however, the Colonels have won three of the last four in the series, including a thrilling OT win over the Panthers last year on Homecoming weekend. Sophomore
Logan Harvey delivered the game-winning strike in that game.
- SIUE (1-4-1 OVC) – last year's OVC Tournament champion – dropped a pair of games to Tennessee Tech and Morehead State last weekend.
- Goalkeeper Jennifer Pelley anchors a fearsome Cougar defense that has recorded seven shutouts this season.
- Eastern is 3-4-1 all-time versus SIUE. The Colonels' last win over the Cougars came in 2012. Then-freshman Melton played all 90 minutes in goal for the Colonels in that game, surrendering just one goal and making four saves. Then-freshmen
Amani Thomas and
Mikala Ferguson each had an assist in the win.
UP NEXT Following this weekend's road trip, EKU will return home to host Belmont in its final regular season home game of the year on Friday, October 23. First touch is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.
