INDIANAPOLIS – After falling in its Horizon League opener at Wright State last Saturday (Sept. 14), the IU Indianapolis men's soccer team looks to get back on track against Robert Morris on Saturday (Sept. 21). The match that kicks off at 3:00 p.m. marks the first conference home game of the campaign.
The 2-0 defeat in Dayton was a "disappointing" result in the words of head coach
Sid van Druenen, especially after the impressive beginning to the season, including a 1-1 draw at ranked Saint Louis and a 2-1 victory at Akron. The Jaguars (3-2-1, 0-1) will look to return to the win column against the Colonials, who are coming off their biggest win of the year, throttling No. 18 Duquesne, 3-0, on Tuesday (Sept. 17). The shutout was the second consecutive for the Colonials and keeper Josh Lane.
Robert Morris (2-2-2, 0-0-1) began Horizon League play against Northern Kentucky on Saturday (Sept. 14), with the match finishing in a scoreless draw. Offensively, RMU displays a balanced attack, with eight different goal scorers finding the back of the net so far this season. Three players (Logan Gilley, Anass Hadran and Tim Koczulap) lead the way with three points. Gilley and Koczulap each have a goal and assist while Hadran has dished out three assists—one behind Milwaukee's Raul Medina for the most in the league.
The Jaguars continue to be led by
Jose Antonio Herrera, who has had a breakout sophomore campaign, tallying a team-high three goals and six points. Herrera's two game-winning goals tie for the most in the conference with four other players. Wright State transfer
Cameron Radeke has also impressed, registering a goal and assist, while
Gijs Velings and
Ethan Vermillion have notched the same numbers. In goal,
Mason Taylor has also been a standout. The grad transfer has recorded two shutouts, made a league-high 33 saves per contest and racked up a 1.00 goals against average through six starts.
The match, although early in Horizon League play, is crucial as teams are already jockeying for position. The top six teams after the regular season will move onto the #HLMSOC Championships, with the top two seeds earning a first-round bye. The remaining four teams will play for a spot in the semifinals, with the third and fourth seeds hosting the quarterfinal matches.
