A red-hot University of Southern Indiana men’s soccer team concludes the 2018 home schedule this weekend ranked 16^th nationally and with a chance to win the Great Lakes Valley Conference regular season title for the first time since 1991. The Screaming Eagles will be defending the home turf for the final time in the 2018 regular season when they host Rockhurst University Friday at 7:30 p.m. and William Jewell College Sunday at 2:30 p.m.

Coverage for USI in GLVC action can be found at GoUSIEagles.com.

Week 7 Eagle Notes: 

USI in the national poll: The Eagles (10-2-1, 8-1-1 GLVC) soared into the national rankings this week, entering the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 Poll at number 16. The number 16 mark is the highest national ranking since the Eagles finished the 1982 season ranked seventh. USI also has been featured in the top 25 at one during the season in each of the last three years.

USI hold onto first in GLVC: USI has a hold on first place in the Great Lakes Valley Conference as the Eagles enter the final week of the regular season. The Eagles lead second place University of Illinois Springfield by 1.5 games and the five teams tied for third by two games in the standings. USI ends the season versus Rockhurst (5-6-2, 4-4-2 GLVC) and William Jewell (5-9-0, 2-8-0 GLVC) at Strassweg Field this weekend and at Lewis University (3-8-3, 2-7-1 GLVC) in Romeoville, Illinois, October 24.

Katzman enters final stretch at USI: USI defender Kent Katzman is USI’s lone senior in 2018 and will be playing in his final regular season games at Strassweg Field this weekend. Katzman, USI’s team captain, has played in 59 matches for the Eagles over the last four years.

Rickey leading the offense: Junior midfielder Sean Rickey leads the USI offense with 25 points on a team-high 10 goals and five assists. Rickey also ranks first in the GLVC in game winning goals; second in goals per game; and fourth in assists per game. Junior forward Eric Ramirez is second with 10 points on four goals and two assist.

Between the posts: Sophomore goalkeeper Justin Faas leads the Eagles between the posts with a 10-2-1 overall record and five shutouts. He also has a 0.78 goals against average in 1155 minutes. The 0.78 GAA ranks first overall in the GLVC.

Santoro in his 10th year: USI Head Coach Mat Santoro has an 85-72-18 overall record at the helm. Santoro has guided the Eagles to four GLVC Tournament appearances and the NCAA II Tournament in 2016.

USI versus Rockhurst: Rockhurst leads the all-time series with USI, 20-3-1, dating back to 1997. The Hawks also have the lead in the last five matches, winning all five, including last year’s match that ended in a 1-0 Rockhurst victory in Kansas City, Missouri.

The Hawks in 2018: The Hawks are 5-6-2 overall and 4-4-2 in the GLVC after splitting last weekend. Rockhurst opened last weekend with a win over Lewis, 3-1, but fell to the University of Indianapolis, 2-1, to finish the weekend.

USI versus William Jewell: The all-time series between USI and WJC is tied, 3-3-1, since the Cardinals joined the Eagles in the GLVC in 2011. USI won last year’s match-up, 3-1, in Kansas City, Missouri.

The Cardinals in 2018: The Cardinals, which visit Bellarmine University on Friday before visiting the Eagles, is 5-9-0 overall and 2-8-0 in the GLVC. WJC broke a four-match losing streak with a 3-2 win over Lewis University last Sunday.

 United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division II Men – National – Poll 7 – October 16, 2018

Aces complete fall season with top 10

Dallas Koth was the top performer for the University of Evansville men’s golf team as the Purple Aces wrapped up the fall season at the F&M Bank APSU Intercollegiate in Dickson, Tenn.

Koth completed his two rounds of play with an even 144.  After posting a 73 in round one, Koth lowered that to a 1-under 71 to tie for 17^thplace.  Second for UE was Noah Reese.  His scores of 75 and 76 put him at 7-over par with a 151.  He tied for 44^th.

Next up was Jessie Brumley, who finished one behind Reese with a 152.  After notching a 79 in round one, Brumley made a nice jump, improving by six strokes to a 73 in the second round.  He tied for 46^th.

The duo of Tyler Roat and Gabe Rohleder tied for 55^th with scores of 156.  Roat carded a 79 and 77 while Rohleder finished his rounds with an 82 and 74.  UE’s individual was Robert Waggoner, who tied for 53^rd with a 155.  He notched a 76 and 79.

Belmont took the team championship, finishing at 9-under par as a team with a 567.  SIU Edwardsville was two behind with a 569.  The Cougars’ Kyle Slattery was the medalist.  His 8-under 136 was two ahead of the competition.  Evansville came in 10^th place with a 600, they were two behind 9^th place Eastern Illinois.

Fall play is complete for the Purple Aces.  They open up the spring on Feb. 25, 2019 in Montgomery, Ala.

The University of Southern Indiana men’s basketball team is predicted to place fourth in the Great Lakes Valley Conference in 2018-19 by the conference head coaches. USI was 20-11 overall and an 11-7 in the GLVC a year ago, earning an eighth-straight trip to the conference’s post-season tournament.

The Screaming Eagles, who collected 141 points in the poll, return six players and three starters in 2018-19. USI senior guard Alex Stein (Evansville, Indiana), a preseason All-American, leads the returning players with 19.7 points per contest.

The prediction of a USI fourth-place finish comes in the first non-division GLVC preseason poll since 2004-05 when the league was comprised of 11 teams.

Bellarmine University (29-3, 16-2 GLVC), the defending GLVC champion, was awarded the top spot with 181 points and 12 of the 13 first place votes. Drury University (21-8, 13-5 GLVC), which won a share of the West Division last year, was second with 160 points, while Lewis University (15-14, 10-8 GLVC) was slotted in third with 157 points and the final two first place votes. The University of Indianapolis (19-9, 12-6 GLVC) rounded out the top five with 138 votes.

Truman State University (20-11, 13-5), which shared the West Division title last year with Drury, earned 118 points in the poll to place sixth. The league coaches closed out the top-half of the GLVC with William Jewell College (20-9, 10-8), which garnered 101 points for seventh place.

The bottom half of the GLVC poll was comprised of Maryville University (20-8, 12-6 GLVC; 94 points); Rockhurst University (14-14, 7-11 GLVC; 91 points); University of Missouri-St. Louis (14-13, 9-9 GLVC; 74 points); McKendree University (12-16, 3-15 GLVC; 64 points); University of Illinois Springfield (14-15, 6-12 GLVC: 61 points); Quincy University (9-18, 5-13 GLVC; 48 points); and Missouri University of Science & Technology (3-23, 1-17 GLVC: 28 points).

The 2018-19 USI campaign begins with exhibition games November 1 at Indiana University and November 3 at Butler University. The regular season campaign tips off November 9-10 with the GLVC/GMAC Crossover in Springfield Illinois. The home schedule begins with Martin Methodist College November 17 in the Physical Activities Center.