EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men's Soccer kicks off the 2022 regular season this week with a pair of road games as they head to Belmont University on Thursday and Northern Kentucky University on Sunday. The clash with the Bruins is set for 6:30 p.m. while the matchup with the Norse is scheduled for 3 p.m. (CDT).
 
When the Eagles take on the Bruins it will be their first match back at the Division I level since they spent three seasons there from 1992-94. During that time USI went a combined 29-27-4 (0.517). The Eagles leave Division II with an overall record of 346-334-50 (0.508) and three NCAA Tournament Appearances.
 
USI was projected to finish ninth in the Summit League announced in their 2022 preseason poll. Denver and Oral Roberts sit at the top of the rankings as the only two teams to receive first-place votes. Omaha, Kansas City, Western Illinois, St. Thomas, Eastern Illinois, and Lindenwood round out the rest of the rankings. The Eagles also named senior defender Colten Walsh (St. Louis, Missouri) and junior forward Zach Barton (St. Louis, Missouri) to their preseason players to watch list.
 
The Eagles finished below .500 for the first time since 2014 last fall after six straight winning seasons. USI finished last season 5-9-2, their lowest win total since that 2014 season when they finished 5-9-3. Since Head Coach Mat Santoro took over in 2009, Southern Indiana has had just four losing seasons under his reign.
 
USI comes into the 2022 season after losing four players from the 2021 roster to graduation. Goalkeeper Justin Faas, midfielder/defender Eli Quivey, forward Graham Miller, and defender Justin Brooks. Faas exits the men's soccer program ranked third all-time in shutouts, 16, fifth all-time in goals against average, 1.33, and second all-time in saves, 247. Faas appeared in 65 games over his five year career saving 247 out of 342 shots faced (0.746). Quivey appeared in 38 games over his three year career at USI, scoring two goals and assisting four goals. Miller leaves the Eagles after appearing in 75 games over his five year career, scoring 11 goals and assisting six goals. Brooks appeared in 73 games for USI over his five year career (missing the 2019 season due to injury), scoring six goals and recording 13 assists.
 
The Eagles return a wide range of key players including top goal scorers and assist leaders. Barton and sophomore Robert Schoenstein (Evansville, Indiana) return to the USI lineup after leading the team with six goals apiece. Barton currently sits 10th in the USI record books with 20 career goals. Junior Brian Winkler (Philpot, Kentucky) also returns to the lineup after leading the program with 10 assists last season. Winkler is tied for 10th in program history with 15 career assists. In his four year career, Walsh has started in all 66 of his games played, scoring 10 goals and assisting nine.
 
With the departure of Justin Faas, the Eagles and Head Coach Mat Santoro will be looking for a new man between the posts. USI currently has four keepers listed on the active roster, but only one has any experience under Santoro. Junior Alec Meissner (St. Charles, Missouri) was the lone other goalkeeper to make an appearance for the Eagles last season, playing in three games and starting one. Meissner allowed one goal off 19 shots faced, saving 10. Sophomore Braden Matthews (Princeton, Indiana) was on last year's roster but has not had an appearance in his two years. USI brings in two freshmen goalkeepers this season, Giancarlo Varano (Woodbridge, Canada) and Chase Tilashalski (Hoover, Alabama).
 
USI welcomes in nine new players to the roster this season, including two transfers and seven freshmen. Nick Faddis (St. Louis, Missouri) is a grad transfer midfielder from St. Louis University where, in his only season with the Billikens, appeared in two matches as they went on to an undefeated season and an A-10 regular season and tournament title. Damian McGregor-Wickham (Toronto, Canada) is a sophomore transfer defender from Casper College in Casper, Wyoming where he started 12 matches and had two assists. Bleon Jahiri (Mason, Michigan) is a freshman defender from Mason High School where he was named All-State in 2021. Will Kirchhofer (Fishers, Indiana) is a freshman midfielder who played for both the Indy Fire and Indy Eleven academies. Jackson Mitchell (Newburgh, Indiana) is a freshman forward who was named a High School All-American, two-time Evansville Courier and Press Player of the Year, and two-time first-team All-State. Diego Rodriguez (Edwardsburg, Michigan) is a freshman defender who also played for both the Indy Fire and Indy Eleven academies. Ednilson Voiles (Plainfield, Indiana) is a freshman midfielder from Avon High School and was a member of the Indiana Fire Developmental Academy. The Eagles also added goalkeepers Varano and Tilashalski.
 
During the 2022 season, every loss that has handed to USI came from the result of the Eagles scoring one or less goals in that match. In their five wins and two draws they scored two or more in each one with the exception coming with the last game of the season in a draw with Lindenwood University (1-1).
 
USI vs Belmont
When USI takes on Belmont on Thursday, this will be the first meeting between the two programs. The Bruins finished last season with a 13-5-1 record and finished third in the Southern Conference. Belmont enters this season as their first apart of the Missouri Valley Conference after leaving the Ohio Valley Conference over the summer. In three exhibition matches this fall, the Bruins are 1-2-0 with a win against Trevecca Nazarene University, 4-0, and losses against the University of Memphis, 0-1, and the University of Alabama Birmingham, 0-3. Belmont returns their top goal scorer from the fall 2021 campaign in Liam O'Brien who finished the season with 11 goals and was also the leader in points with 23. The Bruins will have a new look in goal this season after the loss of Drew Romig who played and started in all 19 games last season, after allowing just 18 goals facing 238 shots and saving 80.
 
USI vs Northern Kentucky
On Sunday the Eagles will be taking on a familiar foe in former Great Lakes Valley Conference rival Northern Kentucky. The last time these two met was in 2011 where the Norse were victorious for the eighth time in a row, 2-3. The all-time series between the two schools is even at 14-14-2 while current Head Coach Mat Santoro is 0-3 against Northern Kentucky in his time. Northern Kentucky finished last season with a 6-11 record and finished eighth in the Horizon League. The Norse lost their leading goal scorer from last season in Jesse Randall. Randall was also the team's leader in assists. Out of returning players, their leading goal scorers were Ben Hegge and Brodie Sallows who both scored three goals last season. Northern Kentucky do however return their main man between the posts in Daniel Bermingham. Bermingham stared in 16 games for the Norse, allowing 27 goals on 267 shots faced, saving 73. Northern Kentucky opens their season on Thursday as they travel to take on Bradley University, who USI will travel to in September.
 
Both games are available to stream on ESPN+.