The University of Southern Indiana men’s soccer team advanced to the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament semifinals with a 1-0 victory over the University of Missouri-St. Louis Sunday afternoon at Strassweg Field. USI, the third seed, watch its record go to 13-2-3, while sixth-seeded UMSL ends the season 10-7-1.
The Screaming Eagles and the Tritons battled to a scoreless draw through 80 minutes with each team posting six shots and just missing on several scoring opportunities. The match’s only tally came at 80:10 when USI junior midfielder Stephen Tuma (Pekin, Indiana) broke through the UMSL defense for the game-winner, his first goal of the season.
Tuma blasted the game-winning shot from 25 yards as the Tritons tried to clear the ball after a shot by junior midfielder Riley Belding (Columbus, Indiana). The Eagles and junior goalkeeper Adam Zehme(Orland Park, Illinois) would make the single tally stand up for the victory.
Zehme posted his 13th win of the season, two short of tying the USI single-season mark, and his career-high seventh shutout of the year by facing a total of eight shots, making five saves in the win. The junior goalkeeper has 11career shutouts, moving Zehme into fifth all-time at USI.
USI advances to play the winner of second-seeded Missouri University of Science & Technology and seventh-seeded University of Indianapolis (underway at press time in Rolla, Missouri) on November 4 at Carroll Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. Game time for the semifinal contest is to be determined.
The Carroll Stadium venue will be the first time in the 38-year history of the GLVC that the men’s soccer semifinals and championship game will be played at a neutral site. Live coverage for USI’s run in the GLVC Tournament can be found at GoUSIEagles.com.
