Issue date: 9/5/08 Section: Sports

Senior goalkeeper Jenny Williams stops a ball during practice on Aug. 25. Williams has 15 saves this season and has given up five goals. (Amir Prellberg/The Daily Eastern News)

The Eastern women's soccer team opens the home portion of its schedule with a match at 5 p.m. tonight at Lakeside Field.

After starting the season with four straight road games that produced a 0-3-1 record, the Panthers have two chances to get in the win column with today's match against Wright State and Sunday's match against Eastern Michigan.

The Raiders (3-1) dropped their season opener to Evansville - a team that the Panthers played to a 1-1 draw in an exhibition match on Aug. 12.

Since then the Raiders have reeled off a three-match winning streak with victories against Cincinnati, Kent State, and Indiana-Purude-Fort Wayne.

The Raiders' offense has been sharp all season with three goals scored in each of their three victories and two goals scored in their season-opening loss.

Eastern head coach Tim Nowak said he knows his team will have to play a solid game to hold off the Raiders.

"We're going to have to be razor sharp for 90 minutes," said Nowak, who coached the Panthers in their only other meeting with Wright State, a 4-2 loss in 2006. "Wright State has proven through their first four games that they can come from behind and even in their one loss they scored two late goals to attempt a comeback, so they're a team that has proven they will compete."

The Raiders' offense is led by senior midfielder Jess Rooma who has three goals and three assists on the season and freshman midfielder Sara Palermo who has three goals and one assist.

Raiders' sophomore goalkeeper Meghan Hackerson has made 13 saves this season but has allowed eight goals through just four matches.

Sunday's match against Eastern Michigan brings a more familiar opponent for the Panthers. The two Eastern schools have played 11 times in 13 years. The Panthers took last year's contest 3-1 to start the 2007 season and hold a 6-5 edge in the all-time series. The Eagles have started their season 1-0-2, with their lone win against IPFW.

Eastern Illinois junior midfielder Alexis Miller said she believes the team needs to play solid team defense as the Panthers did in their 0-0 tie against Northern Iowa to have success.

"We just need to keep defending well as a team and play with our whole heart and good things will happen and we'll have a successful season," Miller said.

Collin Whitchurch can be reached at 581-7944 or at cfwhitchurch@eiu.edu.

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