SPRINGFIELD, IL - The University of Illinois Springfield soccer team hosts Maryville and Missouri-St. Louis in its final home weekend this Friday and Sunday. Game times are set for Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m., respectively.
The Prairie Stars enter the weekend on a three-game skid after winning their first two Great Lakes Valley Conference matches of the season against Lewis and Wisconsin-Parkside. Last weekend, UIS fell to Indianapolis and St. Joseph's by identical 1-0 scorelines. The Prairie Stars travelled to Upper Iowa on Wednesday for a nonconference matchup and fell to the Peacocks, 4-0.
Sunday is senior day for the UIS soccer programs. Five Prairie Stars play their final games at Kiwanis Stadium for the men's side:
Ben Flodstrom (Champaign, Ill.),
Manuel Gomez (Collinsville, Ill.),
Bryan Lucas (O'Fallon, Ill.),
Tyler Stenzel (Gurnee, Ill.) and
Wes Ridgeway (Springfield, Ill.)
Quick Hits- The Prairie Stars are 2-7-1 in the GLVC this season and 4-8-1 overall. Two more wins for UIS would match their win total from a season ago.
- Junior Zachary Allevi (Adelaide, Australia) is tied for sixth in the GLVC in goals scored (5) and eighth in total points (12).
- Sophomore goalkeeper Tommy Geile (O' Fallon, Mo.) is currently third in the league in total saves (57) and tenth in goals-against (1.64).
- In games that UIS has scored, the Prairie Stars are 4-1-1. The Prairie Stars have been held scoreless seven times.
- UIS needs two more GLVC wins this season to equal its GLVC win total from 2014. Of the five remaining games, three are against opponents outside the top eight of conference.
Last Time- Last season, the Prairie Stars fell to Maryville, 1-0, and UMSL, 2-1, at Kiwanis Stadium. UIS has never beaten UMSL and 2-1 in its last three games against Maryville.
Scouting Maryville- The Saints are 5-7-1 overall and 3-6-1 in the GLVC, good for 12th place.
- Maryville is in the midst of a three-game losing streak, including a 1-0 loss to William Jewell last Sunday.
- The team has scored nine goals this season, led by Kevin Ptacek and Nate Alonzo with two a-piece.
Scouting UMSL- The Tritons are 2-2-1 in their last five games, which includes a pair of victories against William Jewell and Lewis. UMSL is in eighth place in the GLVC. The top eight teams at the end of the season advance to the GLVC tournament.
- Senior Jon Huelsman leads the team in goals (6) and points (13).
- Goalkeeper Jack Filla is allowing less than a goal per game (0.96) and has four shutouts this season.
Coming Up Next- The Prairie Stars close out the season on the road against Truman State, Quincy and McKendree.
