Men's Soccer

Cougars Ride Nine-game Win Streak
         A nine-game winning streak will be on the line as No. 11-ranked Southern Illinois University Edwardsville men’s soccer enters this week’s action that will include games against Rockhurst, as well as Great Lakes Valley Conference battles with Southern Indiana and Kentucky Wesleyan.
         SIUE, 10-2 overall and 6-0 in the GLVC, will travel to Columbia, Mo., on Wednesday for a make-up game with Rockhurst. The two teams were supposed to meet at the Soccer Bowl in Quincy in the first week of the season, but the game was postponed because of rain.
         “It is an advantage we are playing them now because we are a better team than we were at the beginning of the year,” Coach Ed Huneke said.
         SIUE then plays host to Southern Indiana on Friday night at Korte Stadium. Game time is 7:30. Southern Indiana (8-4, 7-0 GLVC) leads SIUE by one-half game in the GLVC standings. The winner of the game takes sole possession of first place.
         “Conference standings don’t lie,” Huneke said. “It is an important battle for both teams. USI also is hot on our heels in regional rankings.”
         SIUE wraps up its busy week with a Sunday matchup against Kentucky Wesleyan at Korte Stadium. The Panthers enter the week with a 1-10-1 overall record and a 0-6-1 mark in conference play.
         The Cougars are coming off shutout wins at Northern Kentucky and Indianapolis. The Cougars allowed only eight shots in the two contests, something Huneke attributes to a back line that consists of Tim Velten (St. Louis), Mike Burgund (Bethalto), Sean Huneke (Glen Carbon), John Lamping (Barnhart, Mo.) and Brian Horan (St. Louis).
         “They are doing a great job in that the defense is not allowing many chances for other teams to score,” Huneke said. “They do the important things that do not show up in the boxscore.”
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