QUINCY, Ill. – The Quincy University men's soccer team returns to Legends Stadium on Wednesday for a 10 AM matchup against Purdue Northwest.

Quincy enters the contest with a 1-1 record after defeating St. Cloud State 5-1 in its home opener on Saturday afternoon. Purdue Northwest arrives unbeaten at 2-0 after earning 1-0 victories over Lewis and Northwood.

The Hawks opened the season on August 27 with a 2-1 road loss to Parkside before rebounding with Saturday's five-goal performance.

Hawks Coming Off Offensive Breakthrough

The Hawks received a standout performance from junior forward Leo Cann against St. Cloud State as he recorded the first hat trick of his collegiate career.

Cann scored the only goal of the opening half in the 11th minute, sending Quincy into halftime with a 1-0 lead.

Quincy added four more goals after the break, including two more from Cann. Mathias Bringedal and Rylan Fischer also found the back of the net as the Hawks built a commanding advantage.

Fischer's goal was the first of his collegiate career, while Carter Venvertloh and Jose Perez each recorded two assists. John Drew added his first career assist after scoring his first collegiate goal in Quincy's season opener.

Cann finished the match with seven shots, putting all seven on goal, while recording his hat trick in just 50 minutes of action.

St. Cloud State scored its lone goal in the 79th minute, but Quincy remained comfortably ahead on its way to the 5-1 victory.

To review the full recap from Saturday's match, click here.

Last Year's Matchup

Wednesday's matchup marks the eighth meeting between Quincy and Purdue Northwest since 2018. The Hawks hold a 4-2-1 advantage in the series.

Last season, Quincy defeated Purdue Northwest 3-1 on September 7 in Hammond, Indiana.

The Hawks struck early with two first-half goals from Carlos Moreno Henao, who graduated following last season.

Purdue Northwest cut the lead to one with a goal early in the second half, but current junior Mathias Bringedal answered in the 59th minute to restore Quincy's two-goal advantage.

The Hawks held on from there to earn the 3-1 road victory.

Scouting Purdue Northwest

The Lions enter Wednesday's contest with a 2-0 record after opening the season with victories over Lewis and Northwood.

Purdue Northwest defeated Lewis 1-0 in its season opener before earning another 1-0 victory over Northwood on Sunday.

PNW opened the year by absorbing plenty of pressure against Lewis, which finished with 13 shots and six attempts on goal. The Lions broke through in the 72nd minute when senior defender Brandon Young scored the game-winning goal.

Purdue Northwest followed with a different type of performance against Northwood, limiting the Timberwolves to just two total shots while Nikola Ivetic scored the deciding goal on a second-half free kick.

Head coach Luke Dunn is entering his 13th season as a collegiate coach and his fourth season leading Purdue Northwest. He holds a career record of 71-52-13 and a record of 22-25-9 with the Lions.

Last season, the Lions finished 3-12-3 overall and 2-8-2 in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play.

Lions Defense Off to Strong Start

Purdue Northwest's perfect start has been built around a defensive unit that has yet to concede a goal through the first 180 minutes of the season.

Young has already made an impact on both ends of the field, helping anchor the back line while also providing the game-winning goal in the season opener against Lewis.

Junior defender/midfielder Roman Lynch also provides returning experience after appearing in all 18 matches and making 13 starts last season. Lynch logged more than 1,000 minutes of action while scoring twice.

The Lions were especially effective defensively against Northwood, holding the Timberwolves to only two total shots over 90 minutes.

Behind that group, freshman goalkeeper Estefano Alvear has opened his collegiate career with consecutive shutouts.

Alvear has recorded eight saves through his first two matches and has yet to allow a goal. His performance during the opening weekend earned him GLIAC Defensive Player of the Week honors.

Matchup Outlook

Wednesday's matchup brings together a Quincy offense coming off its best performance of the young season and a Purdue Northwest defense that has yet to allow a goal.

The Hawks scored five times against St. Cloud State after managing one goal in their season-opening loss at Parkside. Purdue Northwest, meanwhile, has won each of its first two contests by identical 1-0 scores behind 180 scoreless minutes from Alvear and the Lions' defense.

Quincy will look to carry Saturday's offensive momentum into the midweek matchup and earn its second consecutive victory at Legends Stadium.

Purdue Northwest will look to extend its winning streak to three matches and avenge last season's 3-1 loss to the Hawks.

Wednesday also serves as Quincy's final match before Great Lakes Valley Conference play begins against McKendree on Saturday, September 5.

Kickoff between Quincy and Purdue Northwest is scheduled for 10 AM Wednesday, September 2, at Legends Stadium.

GLVCSN
Live Stats
Game 2 Box Score vs. St. Cloud State