INDIANAPOLIS - The IUPUI men's soccer team will take on a top-10 team for the second time this season when the Jaguars face No. 7 Denver (9-0-2) at Michael A. Carroll Stadium on Friday night (Oct. 7). Kickoff is slated for 7:00 p.m.. Student admission is free with a valid JagTag and adult tickets are just $5.
IUPUI played No. 3 Indiana earlier in the season and dropped a 2-0 decision in Bloomington. The Jags are coming off a 3-0 loss at SIU Edwardsville on Tuesday night, but are 1-1 at home this season.
ACADEMIC HONORS
Head Coach Brian Barnett's Jaguars earned NSCAA All-Academic Team honors on Thursday for their work in the classroom during the 2015-16 year. The men's team registered a 3.32 grade point average during the 2015-16 academic year, collecting the program's seventh award in school history (2004, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2015 & 2016).
SCOUTING THE JAGUARS
IUPUI comes in at 1-9 on the season with eight of the nine losses coming on the road. Junior
Uriel Macias leads the team in goals (3), points (6), shots (18) and shots on goal (7) while juniors
Joshua Ayala and
Jordan Parron have the team's other goals. Ayala and freshman
Pedro Valladao have a team-high two assists on the season.
Sophomore
Josh Gray has started nine of the team's 10 matches in goal and has a 2.67 goals against average and 45 saves. Redshirt freshman
James Mitchison made the other start and has four saves on the year.
Despite missing the last contest, sophomore
Ben Thornton leads the Jaguars' field players with 808 minutes played and fellow sophomore
Nick Anderson is second with 774 minutes.
With his start at SIUE, senior
Cameron Knox became the 19th different Jaguar to have started at least one match this season. Anderson is the lone IUPUI player to have started all 10 matches.
SCOUTING DENVER (9-0-2 overall, 2-0 Summit)
No. 7 Denver enters play with an undefeated 9-0-2 mark and 2-0 record in Summit League play. The Pioneers are 4-0-2 in road matches with wins over Rutgers, Northwestern, UIC and Eastern Illinois.
Blake Elder leads the Denver attack with five goals and an assist and both Andre Shinyashiki and Sam Hamilton have five assists each. Denver has outscored foes 20-7 on the year and outshot opponents, 150-81.
In goal, Nick Gardner has a 0.61 goals against average, but needed just 19 saves in 11 games. He's recorded six shutouts in his 11 appearances.
INSIDE THE SERIES
IUPUI is 2-2-1 all-time in the series after the two schools played to a 1-1 draw in Indianapolis a year ago. That time, Denver came in ranked No. 8 nationally, but saw the Jags get even in the 78th minute to gain a draw.
Then-junior
Cristian Soto deposited the team's goal in the tie.
IUPUI is 1-0-1 in the two previous meetings in Indy.
LAST TIME OUT
The Jags were on the sour side of a non-conference tilt on Tuesday night (Oct. 4) as IUPUI fell to SIUE at Korte Stadium, 3-0. The Jaguars trailed by only a goal at the break, but saw the host Cougars score a pair of second half insurance tallies in the shutout victory.
UP NEXT
IUPUI will host Cincinnati in a non-conference match at Carroll Stadium at 7:00 p.m.. For those unable to attend, that match will be streamed on IUPUI LIVE! right at kickoff.
