EVANSVILLE, Ind.- University of Southern Indiana Men's Soccer hosts Houston Christian University and the University of the Incarnate Word this weekend at Strassweg Field. The match against Houston Christian is slated for Thursday at 7 p.m. The game against Incarnate Word is on Sunday at 11 a.m.
Admission to both matches is free thanks to ProRehab. The games can also be seen with a subscription to ESPN+.
In their last match, the Screaming Eagles opened Ohio Valley Conference play in Lynchburg, Virginia, against Liberty University. The Flames topped the Eagles 6-1. Liberty held a 27-5 shot advantage, including 16-3 on goal. Freshman
Tony Murphy scored USI's first goal since the team's two-goal performance against Indiana University Indianapolis on September 6.
Freshman
Jacob English returned in goal, recording a season high of 10 saves. Freshman duo
Joaquin d'Escoto and
Edin Cvorovic each recorded a shot on goal. Sophomore
Ahiro Nakamae tallied a shot as well.
USI (1-7-0, 0-1-0 OVC) and Houston Christian (5-2-1, 0-0-1 OVC) have met each of the past two years. The Huskies won one game, while the other ended in a draw. Last year, HCU traveled to Strassweg and left with a 2-0 victory. In 2023, the Eagles traveled south for the game and recorded a 1-1 draw.
The Eagles and Incarnate Word (4-2-3, 0-0-1 OVC) have met twice since the two teams joined the OVC, with last year ending in a 0-0 draw in Evansville. When the two teams met in 2023, the Cardinals came out on top 4-0.
Incarnate Word and Houston Christian opened their conference schedules against each other in San Antonio, Texas. The teams left the hard-fought match with a 1-1 draw. The Cardinals opened the game with a 32nd-minute goal from sophomore Diego Robles, taking a 1-0 lead into halftime. The Huskies bounced back early in the second half, with senior D'Alessandro Herrera scoring the equalizer at 57:24.
HCU is led by junior Ryan Okerayi, who has recorded a goal in five of the team's eight matches, including the game-winner against the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. The Huskies' stellar defense is anchored by three-time 2025 OVC goalkeeper of the week senior Alex Aitken, who has allowed just five goals so far this season, while recording 32 saves.
For the Cardinals, Robles leads the team with three goals on 13 shots, while junior Noe Robles is right behind with two goals on 17 shots. Graduate Alejandra De La Torre has been a stalwart between the posts, allowing just six goals on 45 shots in nine games.
After this weekend, the Eagles continue their homestand for a second straight weekend of OVC action at Strassweg Field, as the team hosts Liberty (October 9) and Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville (October 12) before hitting the road for Macomb, Illinois, for a game against Western Illinois University on October 16.
