The UIS men's soccer team will continue conference play with two home games this weekend. The Prairie Stars take on Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL) at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Lincoln at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday.

UIS (4-3-2, 4-1-2 GLVC)

The Prairie Stars hit the road last weekend to take on Missouri S&T on Friday night and Drury on Sunday afternoon. The Miners came out quickly in the first half of Friday's game, creating clear opportunities throughout. S&T took the lead in the 3rd minute as Mike Banasik latched onto a long throw-in and expertly placed the ball into the bottom corner. The Miners continued to pressure the UIS goal, but only went into the half with a one-goal lead. UIS came out stronger in the second half and began to test the S&T defense. The Prairie Stars finally equalized in the 75th minute as Joey Fitzgerald played a cross field ball to Kevin Herrera, who finished into the far corner with his right foot. Both teams fought for a winning goal in the final fifteen minutes, and it came in the 84th minute when S&T regained the lead. Mike Banasik scored his second goal of the night after some confusion in the Prairie Stars' defense during a corner kick. S&T outshot UIS 21-11, holding an 8-2 advantage in shots on goal.

UIS then traveled to Springfield, Mo., on Sunday to face an always-tough Drury squad. The match was a back-and-forth contest, with both teams creating golden opportunities in each half. Drury opened the scoring in the 29th minute when J.J. Adikwu intercepted a short back pass from a UIS defender and finished into the far corner. The Panthers doubled their lead just before halftime as Carson Morgan netted his fifth goal of the season. With UIS facing the possibility of two defeats over the weekend, the team needed a strong second half—and they delivered. Josh Conrad scored his first collegiate goal in the 51st minute, finishing off a cross from Joey Fitzgerald. UIS tied the game in the 55th minute as Fitzgerald's cross went all the way across the box and found Noah Brill who steered it home. The Stars took the lead in the 58th minute as Anton Aduwa-Emovon beat his defender and passed to a wide-open Joey Fitzgerald in the center of the box, who roofed the ball to complete the comeback. The Panthers scored 30 seconds later following a mistake from the UIS goalkeeper to make the score 3-3. The entertainment didn't stop there as Carson Morgan was shown a straight red card in the 64th minute. UIS capitalized on their man advantage, taking a 4-3 lead in the 71st minute. Joey Fitzgerald played a crucial role again, delivering a wonderful cross to Corne Boshoff, who controlled the ball on his chest and slid it past the onrushing Drury goalkeeper. Both teams were reduced to ten men after Josh Conrad received his second yellow card in the 84th minute. Drury had a great opportunity to level the score, but their shot flashed just wide as UIS held on for the 4-3 victory. Although DU outshot UIS 15-14, the Prairie Stars maintained a 6-5 advantage in shots on goal. 

Joey Fitzgerald was named the GLVC Offensive Player of the Week on Monday, Oct. 7. He scored one goal and provided four assists over the weekend, contributing to every goal scored by the Prairie Stars.

UIS is currently fourth in the GLVC standings with 14 points. Joey Fitzgerald leads the team in goals (3), assists (6), and points (12). Fitzgerald is also first in the league in assists and points. Anton Aduwa-Emovon has also scored 3 goals this season while Corne Boshoff has chipped in with two also. Boshoff also has two assists this season. Joe Brudnak has started six games this season while Edoardo Pinna has started the other three. Brudnak has allowed five goals while Pinna has allowed nine.

The Tritons had only one game last weekend, facing Maryville on Friday night. While Maryville held control briefly, neither team emerged as a standout leader during the match. The game's lone goal came in the 28th minute when MU took a free kick from the right wing, flicked the ball to the back post, where Lukas Molander finished into the top of the net. The Saints defense held strong the rest of the game to earn the road win. UMSL outshot Maryville 9-6, with a 4-2 advantage in shots on goal. 

The Tritons are just outside the GLVC's top eight, currently sitting ninth with six points. Jon Campbell leads the team and the conference with five goals, while six other Tritons have each scored once. Gibson Hunt tops UMSL with two assists, and five additional Tritons have recorded one assist. Austin Reis has started all nine matches in goal this season, allowing 10 goals.

UIS vs. UMSL History

The Prairie Stars have a historical record of 6-9-2 against the Tritons. However, UIS has been on a recent winning streak, claiming victory in the last four encounters. The most recent match in 2023 ended with a 1-0 win for the Prairie Stars, while UMSL's last victory was in 2016 in St. Louis.

Lincoln (3-3-2, 2-3-1 GLVC)

GLVC newcomer Lincoln welcomed two of the top teams in the conference last weekend: No. 9 McKendree on Friday and Maryville on Sunday. McKendree opened the scoring in the 2nd minute on Friday night. Lincoln kept the pressure on McKendree's goal for the rest of the match, but the Bearcat defense held strong to preserve the shutout and win. LU outshot McKendree 16-3, with a 5-2 advantage in shots on goal. 

Sunday's contest against Maryville featured an evenly matched battle between the two teams. While chances were created, few troubled either goalkeeper. The game saw three penalty kicks awarded—two to Maryville and one to Lincoln—all of which were converted, resulting in a 2-1 victory for the Saints on the road. Both teams recorded 10 shots, with Lincoln holding a slight 4-3 advantage in shots on goal.

Lincoln are currently seventh in the GLVC standings with seven points. Shandee Brooks and Kevon Maitland both have scored four goals for the Blue Tigers. Christopher Hull is close behind with three goals scored. Jonas Mueller has provided three assists for Lincoln, leading the team. Vincent Osei and Jadiel Chance have both appeared in goal for Lincoln this season. Osei has started seven games, allowing four goals. Chance earned his first start against Maryville, allowing two goals.

UIS vs. Lincoln History

This will be the inaugural meeting between the teams, as Lincoln is just eight games into its debut season with a 3-3-2 record.