Live Stats

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - The IUPUI men's soccer team will kickoff the 2014 regular season on Friday (Aug. 29) night when the Jaguars take on Bowling Green State University at Cochrane Field at 6:00 p.m.. The Jaguars will look to shake off a pair of preseason losses and win their opener for the fifth time in six seasons.

"A tough preseason of training and playing teams like Northern Illinois and SIU Edwardsville has prepared us well for the season," IUPUI Head Coach Isang Jacob said. "I think our boys are ready. The key thing, like last year, will be the team's overall health. We've had some setbacks in the early going, but more and more, as guys get healthy, we'll become a much better and much more talented team."

IUPUI had five potential starters miss time during the preseason, hindering the coaching staff's ability to truly evaluate the roster. That said, IUPUI held a 1-0 lead for much of the weather shortened match against NIU before a quick Huskie flurry ultimately led to a 2-1 defeat. SIUE got the best of the Jaguars last Friday, beating IUPUI 2-0 at Carroll Stadium. 

All total, IUPUI returns 15 letterwinners and eight starters from last year's squad, including Second Team All-Summit Leaguer Lance Davis (5 points) and junior goalie Eduardo Cortes (2.03 GAA). The recruiting class is headlined by nationally ranked forward Emmanuel Usen and Uriel Macias, who closed his prep career with 112 goals scored.

The Jaguars were recently picked to finish fifth in The Summit League in 2014, according to the preseason coaches polls. IUPUI earned the No. 4 seed in last year's conference tournament before ultimately falling to top-seeded Denver in the semifinals round. 

IUPUI is 1-1-1 all-time against BGSU, although the two teams haven't met in three years. BG beat the Jaguars 1-0 on Sept. 30, 2011 in Ohio after the teams had played to a scoreless draw on Nov. 3, 2010 in Indy. The Jaguars claimed a 3-2 win in the 2004 season, thanks to a pair of goals from IUPUI Hall of Famer Vangel Nacovski. Nacovski scored the game-winner in the 106th minute and Peter Brasovan earned the win in goal with five stops. 

While Friday's match will be the first regular season match for Assistant Coach Garrett Bireline, it'll come in familiar territory for the Marion, Ind.-native. Bireline starred at BGSU during his college career, including being named the Falcons' Junior Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2010.