QUINCY, Ill. – The Quincy University men's soccer team travels to St. Louis, Missouri, on Wednesday for a Great Lakes Valley Conference matchup against the University of Missouri-St. Louis at Don Dallas Soccer Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 PM
Quincy enters the match with a 5-1-4 overall record and remains unbeaten in GLVC play at 4-0-3 following a scoreless draw against William Jewell on Saturday.
UMSL enters Wednesday at 3-4-1 overall and 2-3-1 in conference action after suffering a 3-2 loss to Illinois Springfield.
The Hawks have not lost since their season-opening defeat at Parkside and will look to extend their unbeaten streak to 10 matches while continuing their undefeated start to conference play.
Last Time Out
Quincy controlled the opportunities throughout Saturday's matchup against William Jewell but was unable to find the breakthrough in a 0-0 draw at Legends Stadium.
The Hawks outshot the Cardinals 28-3, including a 10-2 advantage in shots on goal, while earning eight corner kicks compared to just one for William Jewell.
Jewell was reduced to 10 men after a red card in the 35th minute before receiving another red card in the 76th, leaving the Cardinals to finish the match with nine players.
Despite the pressure, goalkeeper Aidan Smith made 10 saves to keep Quincy off the scoreboard.
Leo Cann led the Hawks with eight shots, while
Mathias Bringedal and
Josh Nwosu each added four as Quincy continued to search for the opening goal.
On the other end, goalkeeper
Jake Offerman turned away both shots he faced to secure his fourth shutout of the season.
The result extended Quincy's unbeaten start to GLVC play to seven matches.
Quincy Attack Looks to Respond
Saturday marked just the second time Quincy has been held scoreless this season.
The Hawks have scored 18 goals through 10 matches while averaging 14.8 shots per contest.
Cann continues to lead the attack with seven goals and three assists and has established himself as one of Quincy's most consistent scoring threats.
Nwosu has added four goals and two assists, including his second career brace in Quincy's 4-2 victory over Illinois Springfield.
Bringedal has contributed three goals and two assists as part of a Quincy attack that has received production from throughout the lineup.
The Hawks had scored eight goals over their previous four matches before Saturday's draw and will look to turn the volume of opportunities they created against William Jewell into goals Wednesday.
Defense Providing Consistency
While the Hawks look to get back on the scoresheet, their defense continues to provide a strong foundation.
Quincy has allowed just eight goals through 10 matches and has recorded four shutouts.
The Hawks have surrendered more than one goal only twice this season and have held opponents to one goal or fewer in nine consecutive matches since the season opener.
Offerman has been at the center of that success, providing stability in goal while the Quincy back line has consistently kept the Hawks in position to earn results.
That defensive consistency has helped Quincy go unbeaten through its first seven conference matches.
Common Opponents
Quincy and UMSL have already faced several of the same GLVC opponents.
Against Indianapolis, Quincy earned a 1-1 draw while UMSL suffered a 2-0 loss.
Both teams picked up road victories against Lewis, with Quincy earning a 3-1 win and UMSL defeating the Flyers 1-0.
The teams most recently had opposite results against Illinois Springfield.
Quincy defeated the Prairie Stars 4-2 at Legends Stadium, while UMSL fell 3-2 on Saturday despite generating significantly more offensive opportunities.
The results provide another point of comparison between two teams looking to strengthen their position in the GLVC standings.
Series History
Since 2002, Quincy holds a 12-7-6 advantage in the series against UMSL.
The Hawks earned a 1-0 road victory over the Tritons last season at Don Dallas Soccer Field.
Cann scored the match's lone goal in the 13th minute, giving Quincy an early advantage it would never surrender.
UMSL generated plenty of pressure throughout the match and finished with a 21-10 advantage in shots, but the Quincy defense held firm.
Offerman made two saves to secure the shutout as the Hawks earned the road victory.
Scouting UMSL
The Tritons enter Wednesday looking to bounce back from a 3-2 loss to Illinois Springfield.
Brady Freeman gave UMSL the early advantage with a goal in the 10th minute before UIS answered with three goals during the remainder of the first half.
Mario Garcia cut the deficit to one in the 68th minute, but the Tritons were unable to find the equalizer despite finishing with a 17-9 advantage in shots.
UMSL enters Wednesday with nine goals scored and 12 allowed through eight matches.
Freeman has been the focal point of the offense, leading the Tritons with five goals and 23 shots.
Garcia has added two goals and two assists, while Gibson Hunt leads the team with three assists.
Despite sitting below .500, UMSL has consistently generated opportunities and holds a 100-80 advantage in shots over its opponents this season.
The Tritons have used multiple goalkeepers. Lucas Ortiz and Will Winkler have handled the majority of the minutes and have each recorded 10 saves, while Will Meyer has also seen time and recorded a shutout.
UMSL was selected 10th in the GLVC Preseason Coaches' Poll after finishing 5-6-6 overall and 4-5-5 in conference play last season.
Head coach Josh Alderson is in his fourth season leading the Tritons.
Matchup Outlook
Wednesday's contest features a Quincy team looking to remain unbeaten in conference play against a UMSL side capable of generating plenty of offensive pressure.
The Hawks will look to turn their chances into goals after producing 28 shots without scoring against William Jewell.
Cann, Nwosu and Bringedal lead a Quincy attack that has shown the ability to score in bunches, while Offerman and the back line continue to provide consistency defensively.
UMSL will counter with Freeman and an attack that has outshot its opponents this season despite inconsistent results.
For Quincy, limiting UMSL's opportunities while maintaining the attacking pressure shown Saturday will be key as the Hawks look to extend their unbeaten run and remain near the top of the GLVC standings.
Kickoff between Quincy and UMSL is scheduled for 7:30 PM Wednesday at Don Dallas Soccer Field in St. Louis, Missouri.
