Amir Prellberg's 2009 season in pictures video

CHARLESTON, Ill. – Positive results against Missouri State, Creighton and Bradley in Missouri Valley Conference play and Alex Harrison's nine assists highlighted Eastern Illinois men's soccer's 2009 campaign.

 

The Panthers (6-8-3, 2-6-1 MVC) were the only Valley team to defeat conference champion Missouri State during regular-season play. The 3-0 victory on Oct. 4 was EIU's first-ever against MSU in Springfield and first shutout of the Bears in 20 all-time meetings. The rematch in Charleston was canceled due to an unexpected death in the Eastern Illinois athletic department.

 

Eastern topped Bradley, 1-0, Oct. 18 in Charleston on a second-half goal by senior Evan Philpott. The Homecoming Weekend victory ended a 10-game winless drought against EIU's in-state rival. A week later, the Panthers shutout Creighton for the first time since 1984 in a scoreless draw at Lakeside Field.

 

Eastern also posted an impressive exhibition victory against a Butler team that went on to win the Horizon League regular-season title and earn a national seed and opening-round bye in the NCAA Tournament.

 

Harrison helped setup nine of EIU's 19 goals, ranking second in the league and among the national leaders en route to earning Second Team All-MVC honors. His total was the second highest in the program's Valley era (1996-present) and good for fifth in a single-season all-time. He setup a goal in four straight games in September.

 

Twelve EIU players that saw action this season were either new to the program or redshirted in 2008. Kyle Bullock, Jerry Maddi and Ryan Warren represented the Panthers on the MVC All-Freshman Team. Eastern led the way with the three Freshman Team selections.

 

Goalkeeper Sean Molony was tops in the MVC in saves during his first season as a Panther. His six shutouts established a new EIU record in the Valley years. Defender Kyle Zumski led the team in minutes played, going the distance in all but one game.

 

Eleven different Panthers scored a goal in 2009. Jonathan Hinds and Bullock, both underclassmen and former teammates at Champaign Centennial High School, led the way with three goals apiece.

 

The first of Harrison's nine assists led to the most exciting goal of the season. Mike Picinich headed in a Harrison corner kick with two seconds remaining in regulation to lift EIU to a 1-0 victory at Central Arkansas.

 

Maddi, Chris Pearson and Hinds accounted for the goals in the win at Missouri State. Harrison assisted on all three goals, posting only the second three-assist effort by a Panther in the MVC years.

 

Maddi's score was the first of his collegiate career. He became the first EIU player since 2001 whose first career goal doubled as a game-winner in Valley play. As an Honorable Mention All-MVC selection, Maddi was the only freshman in the league to be named all-conference. He ranked second among the EIU field players in minutes played.

 

Pearson, meanwhile, scored for the fourth straight season. In doing so, he became the sixth Panther in the Valley era with a goal in each of his four collegiate seasons.

 

Eastern was the recipient of the MVC Fair Play Award for the first time this season. That honor goes to the team issued the fewest number of cards, yellow and red, in conference play. The Panthers were only cautioned eight times against Valley opponents this year and did not have a red card all season for the first time since 2004.

 

Due to the double round-robin conference schedule, the MVC Tournament field this season was limited to four teams. Eastern finished fifth in the standings, ending its streak of four consecutive tourney berths. Central Arkansas and SIU Edwardsville are set to join the league next season as men's soccer affiliates. The conference schedule returns to a single round-robin format with a six-team tournament field.

The Panthers will have to bid adieu to a five-player senior class that departs the program as the winningest (34 victories) senior class of the decade. However, EIU is slated to return 18 letter-winners for the 2010 campaign.

The following is a recap of individual accomplishments by HOMETOWN (High School)

NEWCASTLE, England (Gosforth) – Alex Harrison, junior, forward. Second Team All-MVC… Harrison played in 16 games and started 15 times… sat out the season finale against Drake due to an illness… recorded the second highest single-season assist total of the program's Valley era… played a role in 11 of the team's 19 goals this season… recorded a point in each of the first eight games of the year that EIU scored… scored goals against IPFW and Creighton… had an assist in four consecutive games in September, a streak believed to be the longest of the program's Valley era… assisted on all three goals in the win at Missouri State, only the second three-assist effort by a Panther in the MVC years… was one of only 26 players nationally to have three-plus assists in a game this fall… helped setup goals by Mike Picinich (at Central Ark. and vs. IUPUI), Jonathan Hinds (vs. Stony Brook and at MSU), Kyle Bullock (vs. IPFW), Jerry Maddi (at MSU), Chris Pearson (at MSU) and Evan Philpott (at Evansville and vs. Bradley)… ranked third among the EIU field players in minutes played… logged 90-plus minutes 12 times… played 560 consecutive minutes during Valley play, the second longest streak of the year among EIU field players… went the distance in the draw with Creighton, a season-high 110 minutes… Eastern is 8-3-1 when he has scored during her career… National Rankings: eighth in assists per game… MVC Rankings: first in assists per game, second in assists, sixth in points per game… EIU Single-Season Rankings: fifth in assists… EIU All-Time Rankings: seventh in assists.

NEWCASTLE, England (Emmanuel) – Chris Pearson, senior, defender. Pearson played in 15 games and started 12 times, including all nine Valley contests… also opened and closed the season as a starter… scored EIU's second goal in the win at Missouri State… with a goal in each of his four seasons, becoming only the sixth Panther in the MVC years to accomplish the feat… went the distance eight times, including a season-high 110 minutes in the draws with Mercer and Creighton… averaged 86 minutes per game as a starter… helped EIU post seven shutouts, one shy of the program record in the Valley era, and a 356 consecutive scoreless minutes streak at Lakeside Field… Eastern was 3-1-1 when he scored during his career.