Bowling Green (Aug. 30 - 7:00 pm): ESPN+ I Live Stats
at Saint Louis (Sept. 2 - 8:00 pm ET): ESPN+ I Live Stats

INDIANAPOLIS – The IU Indianapolis men's soccer team reached 2-0 for the first time since 2004 after wins over Incarnate Word and Houston Christian in Texas last week and will look to improve on that record with matches against Bowling Green on Friday (Aug. 30) and No. 9 Saint Louis on Monday (Sep. 2).

One of the question marks coming into the season was where the offensive production would come from after the top three goal scorers from a year ago moved on, but just as head coach Sid van Druenen hoped, Jose Antonio Herrera and Cameron Radeke answered the bell. Herrera, a sophomore, scored a brace in the season opener, while junior transfer Radeke tallied the lone goal against Houston Christian.

The defense was also impressive, keeping back-to-back clean sheets to begin the season for the first time since 2001. Graduate transfer Mason Taylor was impressive between the pipes, registering 13 saves—earning #HLMSOC Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts. The center back pairing of Brady Horn and Giovanni Leon were also rock solid in week one, playing all but three minutes.

Freshman midfielder Bali Esquivel has also stood out since stepping on campus and his work rate from box to box earned him significant playing time (171 minutes). Six other freshmen made their collegiate debuts in week one (Tyson Aschliman, Justin Figaroa, Mano Karjian, Christian Nielsen, Owen Parrish, and Alex Pursch), with Nielsen garnering an assist in his first match.

Friday's contest against Bowling Green marks the 2024 home opener and is a part of IU Indy's Weeks of Welcome. This will be the 11th all-time meeting against the Falcons, with the Jaguars only victory coming in the 2004 season that began with five straight wins, including a 3-2 double overtime victory in Bowling Green, Ohio. The last matchup, coming in 2021, ended in a scoreless draw.

Bowling Green also comes into the contest with a 2-0 record after toppling Horizon League foe Wright State, 3-2, and most recently defeating Michigan State, 1-0, in East Lansing. Sophomore Bennett Painter has collected three consecutive game winning goals dating back to last season and will be the focal point of the Falcon offense.

Saint Louis also boasts an undefeated record after upsetting No. 7 Indiana in the season opener, propelling them into the Top Drawer Soccer national rankings. Matthew Wrobel tallied the game winning goal in the 16th minute—the 15th tally of his career—while Jeremi Abonnel recorded a clean sheet with three saves, including a stop from the penalty spot. The Billikens have another shot at a ranked opponent on Thursday (Aug. 29) when they take on No. 16 SMU. The Labor Day contest marks the first between IU Indianapolis and Saint Louis.

Both matches will be streamed on ESPN+ with Friday's contest kicking off at 7:00 p.m. and Monday's Labor Day clash commencing at 8:00 p.m.