The University of Southern Indiana men’s soccer team finishes the longest road trip of the year when it visits Bellarmine University Sunday at 1:30 p.m. (CDT) in Louisville, Kentucky. The USI match in Louisville will be the only match of the week for the Screaming Eagles.
Coverage of the USI-Bellarmine match-up, including live stats and video, is available on GoUSIEagles.com.
USI returns to the friendly surroundings of Strassweg Field September 22 when it hosts the University of Indianapolis to start a weekend homestand. The weekend homestand will conclude with the annual “Gold Game” when the Eagles don gold jerseys versus the University of Wisconsin-Parkside September 24 to promote the fight against pediatric cancers.
Week 2 Eagle Notes:Â
First week in the GLVC:Â USI (2-2-0, 0-2-0 GLVC) fell out of the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 Poll after going 0-2-0 in the first Great Lakes Valley Conference weekend of 2017. The Eagles opened GLVC action with 2-0 losses to the University of Missouri-St. Louis and Maryville University. USI is 1-2-0 during the current road trip.
Eagle Scoring: USI scored seven goals in the first four matches, led by freshman defender Justin Raines(Bartlett, Tennessee). Raines scored twice in the first two matches, including the game-winning goal against Kentucky Wesleyan. In addition to Raines, USI had goals from sophomore defender Justin Brooks(Fishers, Indiana); sophomore midfielder Sean Rickey (Columbia, Illinois); freshman forward Graham Miller (Owensboro, Kentucky); and senior midfielder Kyle Richardville (Vincennes, Indiana).
Santoro begins his ninth year: USI Head Coach Mat Santoro, who has a 66-65-16 overall record at the helm, led the Eagles to their first NCAA Division II Tournament berth since 1982 after posting a 13-4-4 record in 2016.
USI tabbed third in GLVC poll:Â The Eagles were picked third in the Great Lakes Valley Conference preseason poll of the league’s coaches, the highest selection since 2003. Bellarmine is forecast to place ninth in the league this year.
USI leads Bellarmine in all-time series:Â USI leads the all-time series with Bellarmine, 24-13-2, going 4-0-1 in the last five meetings. The Eagles defeated the Knights, 2-1, last year at Strassweg Field and have posted victories in their last three visits to Louisville.
Bellarmine in 2017:Â Bellarmine, which hosts McKendree University Friday before hosting USI, saw its record go to 3-1-0 overall and 1-1-0 GLVC after defeating Missouri University of Science & Technology, 3-1, in Louisville last Sunday.
