USI secures 3rd-seed & host GLVC 1st-round match
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Southern Indiana men's soccer team scored twice in the final 10 minutes to defeat Bellarmine University, 2-1, Wednesday night at Strassweg Field. USI closed out the 2016 regular season with a 12-2-3 overall mark and 10-2-3 record in the GLVC, while Bellarmine finishes the year 6-8-4, 5-7-3 GLVC.
The win makes USI third seed in the GLVC Tournament and secures a first-round home game in the conference tournament on Sunday. The Screaming Eagles will host sixth-seeded University of Missouri-St. Louis Sunday. USI lost to UMSL in the opening game of the GLVC schedule, 2-1, in September in a highly contested match.
Tentative start time for the first GLVC Tournament match at Strassweg Field since 2003 is noon.
The Eagles fell behind early when the Knights scored at 23:13. Bellarmine would hold onto the 1-0 lead through the first half and through the intermission after USI's junior midfielder
Cesar Alba (Hanover Park, Illinois) missed a penalty kick at 27:41.
USI's offense would remain silent until the final 10 minutes of the contest freshman defender
Justin Brooks (Fishers, Indiana) scored the equalizer at 80:25 of a pass from freshman midfielder
Sean Rickey (Columbia, Illinois). The goal was Brooks' third of the season.
Eagles' senior forward
Pedro Castro (Brazil) would make his first goal of the season a memorable one as he scored the game-winner at 88:31 to make the score, 2-1. Castro was assisted on the winning goal by freshman defender
Jonathan Faas (Carmel, Indiana) and sophomore defender
Kent Katzman (Spring Hill, Tennessee).
Between the posts, junior goalkeeper
Adam Zehme (Orland Park, Illinois) posted his career-high 12th win of the year. Zehme allowed one goal and made one save in facing a total of seven shots.
NOTE: In the NCAA Division II Midwest Region poll released this afternoon, USI dropped number four this week, falling two spots. The top six teams in the region qualify for the NCAA Division II Tournament that is set to start November 10.
| NCAA II Midwest Region Poll |
| 1 |
Rockhurst |
13-2-1 |
13-2-1 |
| 2 |
Saginaw Valley |
13-3 |
13-3 |
| 3 |
Missouri S&T |
9-1-5 |
10-1-6 |
| 4 |
Southern Ind. |
11-2-3 |
11-2-3 |
| 5 |
Tiffin |
11-3-1 |
11-3-1 |
| 6 |
Northwood |
10-2-3 |
10-2-3 |
| 7 |
Quincy |
9-4-2 |
10-4-2 |
| 8 |
Drury |
9-3-3 |
10-3-3 |
