RENSSELAER, Ind. – The University of Southern Indiana men's soccer team won its sixth-straight match with a 2-0 victory over Saint Joseph's College Friday evening in Rensselaer, Indiana. USI watched its record rise to 8-1-0 overall and 6-1-0 in the GLVC, while Saint Joseph's falls to 1-8-0, 0-7-0 GLVC.
At 8-1-0 overall, the Screaming Eagles have surpassed the 1982 squad for the best start in the history of the program. The 1982 team, the only USI men's soccer team to advance to the NCAA Division II Tournament, finished the year 13-4-2.
USI's six-match winning streak is one short of the program record of seven that was reached by the 1990 and 1991 teams. Both the 1990 and 1991 teams won GLVC championships and narrowly missed trips to the NCAA II Tournaments.
Eagles' freshman forward
Eric Ramirez (Vincennes, Indiana) put USI on the scoreboard early with his seventh goal of the season at 9:56 for the 1-0 lead. Ramirez was assisted on the goal by freshman midfielder
Adam Becker (Columbia, Illinois).
In the second half, Ramirez sealed the victory with his second goal of the match and his eighth of the season to give the Eagles a 2-0 win at 74:38. The team-best eighth goal of the year puts Ramirez one goal behind
Eric Schoenstein, who scored a USI freshman-best nine goals in 1988.
The freshman forward was assisted on his second goal by junior midfielder
Cesar Alba (Hanover Park, Illinois) and freshman midfielder
Morgan Kelly (Shelbyville, Kentucky).
Between the posts, junior goalkeeper
Adam Zehme (Orland Park, Illinois) posted his second-straight shutout and his career-best eighth win of the fall. Zehme faced eight shots and made six saves in the victory.
USI concludes its short two-match road swing Sunday when it visits the University of Indianapolis for a 1:30 p.m. (CDT) kick off. UIndy (4-2-2, 2-2-2 GLVC at press time) is slated to host Bellarmine University tonight in Indianapolis.
USI holds a commanding all-time series lead, 20-12-0, but has lost the last three matches with UIndy. The last time the Eagles defeated the Greyhounds was 2012 when they posted a 5-1 win on the road.
The Eagles return to the friendly surroundings of Strassweg Field October 7 when they start a home weekend against William Jewell College. USI concludes the short two-match homestand October 9 when it hosts Rockhurst University.
