The Rockhurst men's soccer team will look to close out its regular season on a high note Tuesday (Oct. 27) when the Hawks travel to Bolivar, Missouri, to face Southwest Baptist in a crucial Great Lakes Valley Conference matchup. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. as Rockhurst looks to secure a spot in the GLVC Championship Tournament.
The Hawks enter Tuesday's contest with a 6-6-4 overall record and a 5-4-4 mark in GLVC play after earning back-to-back conference victories over William Jewell and Illinois Springfield last week. Rockhurst found its offensive rhythm at an important point in the season, scoring four goals across the two matches while allowing just one. The victories came after a stretch in which the Hawks had gone three consecutive matches without finding the back of the net.
Rockhurst enters its regular-season finale with a 6-6-4 overall record and a 5-4-4 mark in GLVC play. The Hawks have scored 19 goals this season, with freshman Riley McGill leading the offensive attack with four goals. Tommaso Silanos follows with three goals, including the game-winner against William Jewell, while Blake Barrick and Ozonna Ugbaja added to Rockhurst's scoring total in Saturday's victory over Illinois Springfield.
Nick Marchetti leads the Hawks with four assists after adding another against Illinois Springfield. McGill has also emerged as a key playmaker, recording an assist against the Prairie Stars to go along with his team-leading goal total. Defensively, freshman goalkeeper Luke Strueby continues to anchor Rockhurst in goal after earning back-to-back GLVC Defensive Player of the Week honors earlier this month. Strueby has recorded four shutouts in the Hawks' last eight matches, helping Rockhurst remain competitive in a tightly contested conference race.
Barrick has now scored twice this season, while Ugbaja's goal against Illinois Springfield was also his second. Troy Lor and Daniele Ciancaglini have each contributed one goal and two assists, giving the Hawks several offensive options heading into their final regular-season contest.
Tuesday's matchup against Southwest Baptist carries significant postseason implications as the Hawks look to secure their place in the eight-team GLVC Championship Tournament. Rockhurst has not yet officially clinched a postseason berth, with several teams still competing for positioning in the conference standings. The final tournament field could depend on results elsewhere in the conference, including McKendree's matchup against Lincoln and potential tiebreaker scenarios involving Truman State, Missouri S&T, Quincy and Missouri-St. Louis.
Southwest Baptist enters the regular-season finale with a 7-7-2 overall record and a 4-7-2 mark in GLVC play. The Bearcats have dropped their last two matches, falling 2-0 at Drury on Oct. 21 before suffering a 3-0 home defeat to McKendree on Oct. 24. Southwest Baptist has scored 42 goals this season while allowing 35, with Joe Wright leading the offensive attack with nine goals and 23 points. Two additional Bearcats have contributed six goals apiece, giving Southwest Baptist multiple scoring threats. In goal, Jan-Henry Schafer has started 14 matches and logged more than 1,100 minutes, recording 44 saves this season.
Rockhurst's matchup with Southwest Baptist was originally scheduled for Oct. 14 before being postponed due to expected rain in the Bolivar area. Tuesday's rescheduled contest will officially conclude the Hawks' regular-season schedule, with their postseason fate and potential tournament seeding to be determined following the final round of conference matches.
The Hawks will look to take care of business against Southwest Baptist rather than rely on other conference results. A victory would give Rockhurst its third consecutive win and provide valuable momentum heading into the postseason. The GLVC Championship quarterfinals are scheduled for Oct. 31 and Nov. 1, with the top four seeds hosting opening-round matches.
Entering the final round of conference play, Rockhurst sits on 19 GLVC points, level with Truman State and Missouri S&T, while McKendree remains close behind with 18 points. Quincy and Missouri-St. Louis each have 21 points, leaving several postseason positions unsettled. Lincoln has secured the regular-season championship, while Drury, Maryville and Indianapolis have also clinched top-four seeds and quarterfinal home matches. Rockhurst's postseason qualification and seeding will depend on Tuesday's results and the conference's applicable tiebreakers.
The Hawks will look to finish the regular season with three consecutive victories for the first time this year and carry their recent offensive resurgence into the GLVC Championship.
