Rockhurst Men's Soccer takes its momentum on the road this week for a pair of Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) matchups, beginning Wednesday (Oct. 7) against No. 11 Drury before traveling to St. Louis to face Missouri-St. Louis on Saturday (Oct. 10). Both matches are scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
The Hawks enter the week with a 4-4-3 overall record and a 3-2-3 mark in GLVC play after earning one of their biggest wins of the season Saturday night, shutting out conference-leading Maryville, 1-0, at Bourke Field.
Freshman Riley McGill provided the difference against the Saints, scoring off a Nick Marchetti assist in the box. The goal was McGill's team-leading third of the season and his second game-winner. From there, freshman goalkeeper Luke Strueby and the Rockhurst defense took over. Maryville finished with 23 shots and 12 corner kicks, but the Hawks kept the Saints off the scoreboard for all 90 minutes.
Strueby made nine saves, including seven in the second half, to earn his first shutout of the season. His performance earned him GLVC Defensive Player of the Week honors, the first weekly conference award for the Hawks this season. The freshman has continued to settle into the starting role in goal for the Hawks. Through six starts, Strueby has allowed just five goals while recording 19 saves on 67 shots faced.
Rockhurst has scored 15 goals this season, with production coming from throughout the lineup. McGill leads the Hawks with three goals, including two game-winners. Tommaso Silanos follows with two goals, while 10 other Rockhurst players have each found the back of the net once. Marchetti has started every match this season and leads the Hawks with three assists. Daniele Chiancaglini and Troy Lor have each added one goal and two assists.
Drury enters Wednesday's matchup ranked No. 11 nationally with an 8-2-1 record. The Panthers are coming off a 1-0 victory over Quincy and have outscored their opponents 24-9 this season. One of Drury's two losses came against Missouri S&T, a team Rockhurst defeated 5-2 earlier this season in Rolla. Steen Voller has led the Drury attack with four goals and four assists. The Panthers also feature four players with three goals apiece, including Lui Bull, who has added three assists. In goal, Ben Barnett has made 10 starts for the Panthers, recording 19 saves while facing 79 shots.
The Hawks will then head to St. Louis for their second road contest of the week, meeting Missouri-St. Louis at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. UMSL enters the week 4-4-2 overall and 3-3-2 in conference play. The Tritons will face Lincoln on Wednesday before hosting the Hawks. UMSL has scored 11 goals while allowing 13 this season, with Brady Freeman accounting for the majority of its offensive production. Freeman has scored seven goals on 28 shots, with 14 attempts on goal for a .500 shot-on-goal percentage. UMSL has used three different goalkeepers this season. Will Winkler has seen the most time in net, earning five starts.
After holding one of the conference's best teams scoreless at Bourke Field, the Hawks will now be tested twice away from home, beginning with a nationally ranked Drury squad Wednesday night.
