USI Men’s Soccer opens 2016 on the road

The University of Southern Indiana men’s soccer team kicks off the 2016 campaign with a pair of road matches, traveling to Kentucky Wesleyan College in Owensboro, Kentucky, Thursday for a 7 p.m. match-up and to Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, Tennessee, Monday for a 2 p.m. showdown.
Coverage for USI’s two-match road swing can be found at GoUSIEagles.com.

The USI home and Great Lakes Valley Conference opener is scheduled for September 9 when the Screaming Eagles host the University of Missouri-St. Louis. The first homestand of the year will conclude September 11 when the Eagles host Maryville University for the fifth annual Gold Game in recognition of September being Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month.

Week 1 Eagle Notes: 
Back for 2016: The Eagles return fourteen lettermen from last season, including 2015 second leading scorer sophomore forward Kasper Bjoro (Oslo, Norway). Bjoro had 13 points on five goals, including three game-winners, and three assists.

Zehme back between the posts: The Eagles return their top goalkeeper from last season in junior Adam Zehme (Orland Park, Illinois). Zehme played in 12 of the 18 matches, making 11 starts. Zehme had a 0.80 goals against average in 1017 minutes of action, allowing nine goals and making 41 saves.

Santoro begins his eighth year: USI Head Coach Mat Santoro has a 51-59-12 overall record at USI, but is 31-30-9 in the last four seasons.

USI tabbed eighth in GLVC poll: The Eagles were picked eighth in the Great Lakes Valley Conference preseason poll of the league’s coaches. USI placed eighth last year in the regular season, prior to placing fifth in the GLVC Tournament.

Return to the GLVC Tournament: USI is looking for back-to-back trips to the GLVC Tournament for the first time since 2002 and 2003.

Eagles in openers: USI is 18-17-2 all-time in season openers after beginning the last two seasons with victories.

USI leads all-time record with KWC: The Eagles have a dominating 28-6-2 all-time series record with the Panthers of KWC. USI won last year’s match-up, 3-2, in overtime at Strassweg Field and has won 14-straight over the Panthers. Sophomore forward Kasper Bjoro had the USI game-winner in overtime last fall.

USI versus Trevecca: USI trails Trevecca, 0-1-0, after the Trojans won the only meeting, 2-0, in 2014. The second meeting between the Eagles and the Trojans, scheduled for last year at Strassweg Field, was cancelled due to rain.