Men’s Soccer tabbed eighth in preseason GLVC poll

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Southern Indiana men’s soccer team is projected to place eighth in the Great Lakes Valley Conference in 2016 in a vote by the league’s 16 head coaches. USI, the all-time leader with 10 GLVC titles, is coming off an eighth-place finish in 2015 after producing an 8-7-3 overall record, and a 6-6-3 GLVC mark.
The Rockhurst University men’s soccer team was tabbed by the league coaches to win the 2016 Championship.  The Hawks received 13 first-place votes and 222 points in the preseason poll. The University of Indianapolis garnered two first-place votes, but fell three points shy Rockhurst with 209 total points. Quincy University and Drury University were picked third and fourth with 199 and 169 total points, respectively. The final first-place vote went to Missouri University of Science & Technology who round out the top five with 166 total points.

The 2016 USI squad is comprised of 31 players – 18 returning players and redshirts and 13 newcomers. The lone senior for the Eagles is midfielder Michael Sass (New Palestine, Indiana)

The top scoring returner for USI is sophomore forward Kasper Bjoro (Oslo, Norway) who was second on the team in 2015 with 13 points on five goals and three assists. Three of Bjoro’s five goals on the year were game winners including his goal in the regular season finale to secure a spot in the 2015 GLVC Tournament. Also returning for the Eagles, junior forward Pedro Castro (Sao José dos Campos, Brazil) recorded eight points in 2015 on three goals and two assists.

The Eagles also return their top goalkeeper from 2015 in junior Adam Zehme (Orland Park, Illinois). Zehme appeared in 12 matches, getting 11 starts earning a 6-4-1 record with five shutouts.

The 16 GLVC men’s soccer teams will compete in a 15-game round-robin schedule during the regular season with the top eight teams earning a berth to the GLVC Championship Tournament. The top four seeds will host quarterfinal matches on campus on October 30 with the four remaining teams heading to Carroll Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana for the semifinals and final on November 4 and 6.

USI opens the 2016 regular season campaign on the road when the Eagles head to Kentucky Wesleyan College for a 7 p.m. showdown of Midwest Region teams.

2016 Great Lakes Valley Conference Men’s Soccer Preseason Poll