The University of Illinois Springfield men's soccer team heads into the third weekend of the season with the GLVC regular season beginning at Kiwanis Stadium. The Prairie Stars face nationally-ranked Maryville on Friday at 7:30 p.m., and finish off the weekend against Missouri S&T on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. 

UIS (1-1-2) 
The Prairie Stars failed to record a win last week against two GLIAC opponents while ranked 17th nationally. 

On Thursday afternoon against 6th-ranked Parkside, the Stars tied 1-1 in a game that they largely controlled. UIS outshot Parkside 19 to 6, with a 9 to 4 advantage of shots on goal. Regardless of their dominance in terms of shots, the Stars couldn't find the winning goal. The lone goal was scored by Riccardo Sandulli, with the assist from Sergio Crescenzi. 

On Saturday against Purdue Northwest, UIS suffered its first loss on the year as the Pride emerged victorious by a score of 2-1. Purdue Northwest jumped out to an early two-goal advantage inside 11 minutes. From there, UIS dominated the game, but couldn't fight back from the two early goals conceded. UIS recorded 19 shots with 8 on target while the Pride recorded 3 shots, all being on target. The lone goal was scored by Or Levinstein from a Noah Brill assist. 

About Maryville (3-0-1) 
Maryville enters the weekend ranked 7th nationally, coming off of three straight wins. The Saints also appeared at the top spot in the Midwest regional rankings. 

Facing two in-region opponents in Fort Hays State and Wisconsin-Parkside last weekend, Maryville showed why they are a frequent feature in the NCAA Tournament. The Saints traveled to Fort Hays State on Thursday and emerged victorious 3-1. On Sunday, Maryville returned home and beat Parkside 4-1. Kelvin Mulinya has 3 goals on the year, while Tim Smith has recorded 2 goals and 3 assists. 

UIS vs. Maryville History 
UIS holds a 10-7-3 record against Maryville, with a 5-2-2 record coming at home. This will be the sixth time the Stars and Saints have faced each other in the past three years, with both teams winning twice. In the 2022 season, Maryville was victorious in both the GLVC regular season and conference tournament. 

About Missouri S&T (1-2-1) 
The Miners recorded their first win of the 2023 season on Sunday with a victory over Union (Tenn.) 2-0. The Miners were picked to finish 8 in the GLVC Preseason Poll. 

On Friday night the Miners battled Kentucky Wesleyan in an intense match. A late goal for KWU doomed the Miners as they fell to (0-2-1) on the season. On Sunday, Missouri S&T recorded their first win of the season with an emphatic 2-0 win over Union (Tenn.) The Miners rattled off 23 shots with 8 being on target in the win. 

Missouri S&T travels to Quincy on Friday night to start their GLVC season. 

UIS vs. Missouri S&T History 
UIS holds a 5-10-3 record against Missouri S&T, with a 2-5-2 record at home. The 2018 season was the last time that the Stars beat the Miners. The Stars and Miners battled to a 1-1 draw in Springfield the last time the two met in 2022. 

Up Next 
The Stars continue GLVC play with two matches away, coming against Upper Iowa (9/22) and Truman State (9/24).