EVANSVILLE, IN – The University of Southern Indiana men's soccer team returns to the friendly surroundings of Strassweg Field to face two of its toughest tests this season. The Screaming Eagles are slated to host William Jewell College Friday at 5 p.m. and 16
th-ranked Rockhurst University Sunday at noon.
USI (7-3-0, 6-2-0 GLVC) begins this week in a tie for fourth with WJC (8-2-0, 6-2-0 GLVC) in the GLVC standings and percentage points behind third-place Bellarmine University (6-2-1, 5-1-1). Rockhurst (7-1-2, 6-1-1 GLVC) and Drury University (8-1-1, 6-1-1 GLVC) are leading the pack in the GLVC with identical 6-1-1 conference marks.
The Eagles have been flying high over the last three weeks, winning their last five matches and six of the last seven. USI posted its first GLVC road-trip sweep since 2003 last weekend with a 1-0 victory at Saint Joseph's College and a 5-1 triumph at the University of Indianapolis.
Leading the scoring barrage during the winning streak are senior midfielder
Jeffrey McClure (Indianapolis, Indiana), senior defender
Danny Pratte (Florissant, Missouri), and senior midfielder
Austin Andrekus (St. Charles, Illinois). McClure, who was named the GLVC Player of the Week Monday, has 12 points during the winning streak on four goals and four assists.
Pratte, who led USI to a sweep during the last USI homestand, has nine points in the last five matches on three goals and three assists, while Andrekus, who has a pair of game-winning goals during the winning streak, has posted eight points on three goals and two assists.
McClure is the USI season-leader with 16 points on six goals and four assists, while Andrekus is second with 10 points on four goals and two assists. Pratte rounds out USI's top three with his nine points on three goals and three assists.
Between the posts, junior goalkeeper
Jeffrey Neidlinger (Carmel, Indiana) ranks 20
th nationally and sixth in the GLVC with a 0.75 goals against average. Neidlinger, who also ranks 14
th nationally and third the league with a 0.846 save percentage, has a pair of shutouts and a 5-3-0 record this year.
The Cardinals of WJC come to Strassweg Field after sweeping the University of Illinois Springfield and Quincy University at home last weekend. WJC has won its last three matches and seven of its last eight contests.
USI lost its first and only meeting with WJC last year, 6-2, in Liberty, Missouri.
The Hawks of Rockhurst were 1-0-1 last week in the GLVC, tying Quincy University, 0-0, in double overtime and defeating the University of Illinois Springfield 5-1. Rockhurst has posted a 2-1-1 mark in the last four matches after seeing its five-match winning streak come to an end.
The Eagles are still searching for its first win against the Hawks, trailing the all-time series, 13-0-2. USI was able to tie Rockhurst in 2003 and 2004.
