The University of Illinois Springfield men's soccer team heads into the fourth weekend of conference play preparing for two home games. The Prairie Stars face Southwest Baptist on Friday at 7:30 p.m. to kick off Homecoming, and Drury on Sunday at 2:30 pm in the annual Pink Game for Breast Cancer Awareness. The Prairie Stars are currently ranked 18th in the latest United Soccer Coaches National Poll.
UIS (6-1-2, 5-0)
UIS is currently 3rd in the GLVC standings after winning their only game last weekend.
Sunday's matchup at Quincy was a tough game throughout as the Stars emerged victorious, keeping their perfect conference record intact. The lone goal of the day came from Or Levinstein after a strong run from Moritz Albrecht on the left-hand side. Levinstein notched his fifth goal of the season with his left-footed strike. UIS fired off 14 shots compared to Quincy's 2, and had a 7-1 advantage in shots on goal. Quincy threatened the final 20 minutes of the match, with their best chance hitting the crossbar.
Southwest Baptist (2-6-1, 1-5)
The Bearcats picked up their first points of the season during the past weekend after defeating Upper Iowa on Sunday.
On Friday against Truman State, the Bearcats and Bulldogs battled throughout, but TSU eventually escaped Bolivar with a 3-0 win. An early goal from Truman looked like it may be a big loss for SBU, but the Bearcats kept the match competitive throughout. Truman scored two more goals in the final 15 minutes to secure the win. TSU outshot SBU 16-8 with an 11-2 advantage in shots on goal.
Sunday afternoon the Bearcats finally won their first conference match of the season, against Upper Iowa. A goal from Titouan Fraslin in the 7th minute gave SBU all the confidence they needed to earn their first points of the season. The lead was pushed to 2-0 with a goal from Tumekie Blackwood in the 67th minute. Upper Iowa scored a late goal to make it 2-1, but it wasn't enough. SBU outshot UIU 14-8 and had a 5-4 advantage in shots on goal.
Titouan Fraslin leads the Bearcats with 3 goals and has 1 assist on the year. Iker Lorenzo also has chipped in 2 goals of his own. Three other Bearcat players also have registered 1 goal on the year.
UIS vs. Southwest Baptist History
UIS currently holds a 3-0 record against the Bearcats all-time. Last year's matchup in Bolivar saw the Stars emerge victorious 5-0.
Drury (2-4-4, 2-2-2)
Drury currently sits 7th in the GLVC after picking up four points last weekend.
On Friday night DU and UIU played in an exciting 2-2 draw. After a 0-0 first-half which saw Drury take the majority of the shots, the scoring was opened by the Panthers in the 60th minute by Jacob Schmidt. UIU responded less than three minutes later with a goal of their own. Drury's J.J. Adikwu put the Panthers ahead once again with less than 7 minutes left, but UIU found another equalizing goal only 2 minutes later. Drury outshot Upper Iowa 23-11, but both teams had 7 shots on target.
On Sunday against Truman State, the Panthers found themselves with a 1-0 deficit at halftime. A fightback ensued as J.J. Adikwu scored his second goal of the weekend in the 52nd minute to tie the game. Chances fell to both sides as the game went on, but the Panthers found the winner in the 77th minute from Lui Bull. Drury edged TSU in shots, 11-10, but TSU held the slight advantage in shots on goal, 5-4.
Three Panther players have 2 goals on the year, including reigning GLVC Offensive Player of the Week, J.J. Adikwu. Jason Puente has also registered 3 assists on the year.
The Panthers travel to Quincy on Friday night before Sunday's matchup in Springfield.
UIS vs. Drury History
UIS holds a 5-6-4 record against the Panthers all-time. In the last ten matchups between the two, UIS holds a 5-1-4 record. In last year's two matches, the two drew 1-1 in the regular season, and the Prairie Stars won 3-1 in the GLVC Conference Tournament.
Up Next
The Stars continue GLVC play as they travel to play William Jewell (10/13) and Rockhurst (10/15).
Homecoming
UIS Athletics looks forward to welcoming alumni back to campus for Homecoming weekend. Join Alumni and Friends of all ages for Oktoberfest hospitality in celebration of the UIS soccer programs on Friday at the games. Complimentary Oktoberfest-themed foods will accompany traditional concession stand items. Fireworks will follow the conclusion of the men's soccer match.
Campus Events and Celebrations
