Sept. 5, 2009
PEORIA, Ill. -
Eastern Illinois/Memphis Game Notes 
The Memphis men's soccer squad will take on the Eastern Illinois Panthers in their second game of the Busey Bank Soccer Classic on the campus of Bradley University in Peoria, Ill. The Tigers enter Sunday afternoon's contest with a record of 0-0-1 after earning a 1-1 double overtime draw with host Bradley on Friday evening in the opening game of Fox Soccer Channel's "NSCAA Game of the Week" series. Eastern Illinois comes into the match with a mark of 0-1-1 after earning a 0-0 draw with Mercer in their opening game at the Busey Bank Soccer Classic.
Memphis used a goal from Parker Duncan to even up the slate with Bradley on Friday night in a late-night battle with their foes from Central Illinois. Duncan tapped in the ball with the back of his heel past goalkeeper Drew Van Kampen after altering the route of Ryan Ruble's ball towards the goalie. The play started with Bradley Jacobs fending off four Bradley defenders to control the ball at the top of the box before playing the ball to Ruble. The goal marks the seventh in the young career of Duncan, a sophomore forward from Johnson City, Tenn. The speedy offensive player came on late last year to score six goals in a matter of eight games for the Tigers. Duncan ended the season earning All-C-USA third team accolades, as well as C-USA All-Freshman team honors.
Goalie Michael Goodlett allowed one goal to Bradley in the opening game of the season and picked up two saves. Goodlett is coming off of a junior season in which he earned four shutouts while giving up 1.30 goals a game on the season. Goodlett picked up 76 saves on the year.
The Tigers started several newcomers in their opening game of the regular season on Friday. Freshmen J.J. Greer, Justin Watson, Jon Wright and Jordan Johnson all started for Richie Grant's Memphis squad. Greer, a forward from Cordova, Tenn., led the U of M with four shots. Watson and Wright both played on the wings for the Tigers, while Jordan Johnson played right back in his debut.
Eastern Illinois is coached by Adam Howarth, who enters his tenth season at the helm for the Panthers. EIU finished the 2008 season with a 5-11-3 record. Returning from the 2008 squad is Alex Harrison, a junior forward from Newcastle, England, who had eight goals and seven assists for the Panthers during his sophomore season. Along with a tie with Mercer, EIU lost to Valparaiso, 2-0, on Tues., Sept. 1.
The Panthers have also started a group of freshman in their two regular season games in 2009. Newcomers Jerry Maddi, Kyle Bullock and transfers Trevor Kohlrus and Sean Molony.
Molony, the Panthers' goalkeeper in their first two contests, picked up the first shutout of his young EIU career on Friday with a 0-0 draw against Mercer. A transfer from Fort Lewis College, has six saves while allowing two goals.
Following their game with Eastern Illinois, the Tigers will rest up before traveling to the UAB "Soccer For A Cure" Classic, where they will face the UMKC Kangaroos and Drake, a squad that lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last season. Drake is currently rated No. 21 in the College Soccer News poll. The Bulldogs from Des Moines, Iowa, are 1-1 on the season after defeating DePaul, and losing to Michigan, ranked No. 22 in the NSCAA poll.
