INDIANAPOLIS -- Plenty of soccer remains in the Horizon League season, but matches this weekend will go a long way towards determining who is in and who is out of the Horizon League Men's Soccer Tournament, which runs Nov. 8-13.
Friday, October 7 - Valparaiso at Wright State - 7 p.m., HLN
The weekend begins with one of the biggest matches in the conference, as Wright State (6-3-1, 2-0-0 Horizon) looks to stay unbeaten in League play when Valparaiso (4-4-2, 1-0-1 Horizon) visits Alumni Field. Last season, both squads missed the Horizon League Tournament but early League success has both in position to be in the bracket.
The matchup features two of the top goalkeepers in the Horizon League. Freshman Craig Feehan has been a major key to Wright State's turnaround; presently, Feehan owns a 0.97 goals against average and is turning away 77.3 shots on frame, both of which rank second in the League. Across the field will be the Horizon League leader in GAA, Kyle Zobeck. The junior has a 0.87 GAA, turning in shutouts in three of his last six starts in net.
Wright State has won both of its League matches by 2-1 counts, both victories coming in overtime. Bryce Rockwell-Ashton netted the game-winner in a 2-1 victory at Detroit, while Derek Zuniga potted the game-winner against Cleveland State on a penalty kick a week later.
Valparaiso knocked off Detroit in overtime as well, with Gerardo Avelar converting from 35 yards out to give the Crusaders a 3-2 victory at Brown Field; in Valpo's first League match of the season, Zobeck posted his fourth shutout of the year in a 0-0 draw.
The match is the first of two men's soccer matches fans can watch live and free on the Horizon League Network this weekend.
Saturday, October 8 - Milwaukee at Detroit - 12 p.m.
Two teams coming off of disappointing losses tangle Titan Field on Saturday when Milwaukee (5-6-0, 2-1-0 Horizon) meets Detroit (4-6-0, 0-2-0 Horizon). Both teams were able to rally to tie in their last matches before suffering overtime defeats. The Panthers went to Michigan State, dropping a contested 2-1 match on a disputable goal in the 78th minute. Meanwhile, the Titans fought back from a 2-1 deficit to knot their match against Valpo at 2 apiece before falling in overtime.
Still, there were positive signs for both teams in the losses. Freshman keeper Josh Rohde made 14 saves for Milwaukee on Tuesday, while Detroit junior Pat Lepera had a week to remember, tallying three goals and an assist. Lepera's third goal of the week was the equalizer at Valpo, sending the match to overtime.
In League play, Milwaukee started strong out of the gates, winning at Butler and against Green Bay before surrendering three early goals to Cleveland State in an eventual 3-2 loss. Still, with six points, the Panthers are tied for the most in the League with Wright State. Detroit is searching for its first points of the year after two tough overtime losses, the first coming to League-leading Wright State and the second coming last Friday at Valparaiso.
Saturday, October 8 - UIC at Butler - 7 p.m.
After a tough midweek loss, Butler (5-4-1, 1-1-0 Horizon) will look to right the ship when it welcomes UIC (6-2-2, 1-0-0 Horizon) under the light of the Butler Bowl. The Flames have had the week off following a 3-1 win against Green Bay opened its League slate, while the Bulldogs suffered a 3-0 setback to IUPUI on Wednesday night.
The Bulldogs are seeking their second straight win in Horizon League play, after three second-half goals pushed Butler past host Loyola, 3-1, last week. Blake Leyden had the game winner against the Ramblers, and it was Leyden who was routinely able to get behind the IUPUI defense but was not able to find the back of the net.
The Flames head down I-65 with the top offense in the Horizon League, averaging 2.0 goals per game. Of UIC's 20 goals this season, 13 have come from two players - Ivan Stanisavljevic (7) and Eric Frazier (6). The number expands to 16 when Jesus Torres' three goals are accounted for. Stanisavljevic has scored in just three matches, but when the Serbian has scored, it has been an eruption. With two hat tricks, Stanisavljevic has vaulted to the top of the League's leaders in goals and points (19).
Saturday, October 8 - Loyola at Cleveland State - 7 p.m., HLN
Cleveland State (4-6-1, 1-1-1 Horizon) hopes that a 3-2 win at Milwaukee last weekend will be the catalyst for another strong run in League play as it hosts a Loyola (2-7-1, 0-2-0) 11 hoping that a non-conference victory on Wednesday is the spark for the next month.
The Vikings carried the momentum from last week's League win into non-conference play, where Jordan Hart's second goal of the season pushed Cleveland State to a 1-0 overtime win at Pittsburgh. It has been a defenseman - Zack Ellis-Hayden - who has helped spark the CSU offense. Ellis-Hayden's first career goal put the Vikings up 2-0 at Milwaukee, and his assist led to the long goal in the win over Pitt.
Meanwhile, Loyola tallied an important 1-0 shutout of visiting Oakland on Wednesday, with Peter McKeown notching six saves to collect his first win of 2011. Offensively, the Ramblers were led by Brian Bement, who tallied his team-leading third goal of the season in the win.
It has been a slow start for Loyola in League play, where the Ramblers have fallen at Green Bay, 2-1, and to Butler, 3-1. Still Loyola rallied to finish 4-3-1 in League play last year, so the Ramblers are hopeful that Wednesday's non-conference win is a harbinger of things to come.
Cleveland State has experienced a little bit of everything in its first three League matches, opening with a scoreless draw at Valpo and losing on an overtime penalty kick to Wright State before exploding for three goals on the road at Milwaukee.
Fans can watch the match live on HLN.
Non-Conference Matches
Saturday, October 8 - Green Bay at Tulsa - 8 p.m.: Green Bay (4-5-1) wraps up a four-game road trip at Tulsa (4-6-0) on Saturday night. Boasting the No. 1-ranked player in the Horizon League in Tony Walls, the Phoenix will be attempting to snap a three-game skid. Walls, the top-rated Horizon League men's player by TopDrawerSoccer.com, leads Green Bay with three goals and three assists on the year.
Nearly two full matches have been played without starting keeper Ryan Wehking, who suffered a red card at UIC, forcing him to sit out the team's 3-1 loss at DePaul on Wednesday.
Sunday, October 9 - Oral Roberts at Valparaiso - 1 p.m.: Continuing its theme of weekend matches against former Mid-Continent Conference foes, Valparaiso welcomes Oral Roberts (3-6-0) on Sunday. The Golden Eagles enter the week at 3-6-0, playing at Eastern Illinois prior to Sunday’s contest. Jarrett Hamilton and Thomas Adams have each scored a team-best three times out of ORU’s 15 goals this year. The Golden Eagles have surrendered 24 times this year, with Nick Petolick (3-5-0, 2.42 GAA) seeing most of the time in net.
