NOTEBOOK (PDF)
The Valley kicked off the 2021 men’s soccer season with a 6-4-1 record last weekend in non-conference action.
Poll Position
Missouri State moved up to No. 8 in this week’s United Soccer Coaches Top 25 ranking. The Bears sat No. 12 in the preseason rankings. MSU also sits No. 8 in the College Soccer News Top 30 poll this week, while moving up to No. 9 in this week’s Top Drawer Soccer Top 25 poll.
National Team of the Week
Loyola’s Billy Hency earned a spot on this week’s 11-member Top Drawer Soccer Team of the Week. Picking up where he left off in the spring, Hency scored the winning goal in both of the Ramblers’ wins, 2-1 defeat of DePaul and winning 4-2 versus Western Michigan. He added a brace in the latter match.
BRAD: Positive Vibes
Winning the season-opener has proven to be a sign of good things to follow more often than not in Bradley Soccer history … Thursday’s 1-0 win against an Omaha squad that reached the second round of the 2021 spring NCAA Tournament, gives Bradley a 22-9-4 (.686) all-time record in season-openers, including a 20-4-2 (.808) record in the starting games under 26th-year head coach Jim DeRose … In the 22 seasons Bradley has won its season opener, the Braves have gone on to win at least 10 games in that season 14 times and finished with at least a .500 record in 15 seasons … In the 13 seasons Bradley lost or drew its season-opener, however, the team has finished that season below .500 nine times.
DU: Louis on Point
Drake fell to Milwaukee in its season opener 2-1. Senior Juan Louis scored Drake’s lone goal in the match. In their home opener, Drake bested Western Illinois 1-0 and Louis scored once again for the Bulldogs. Drake’s defensive efforts were led by Jared Brown, TC Anderson, Louis Yuill, and Declan Watters who all helped Drake maintain possession for over half the match. Drake advances to 1-1 on the season.
UE: Pablo Being Pablo
A menace to opposing defense in the spring, sophomore Pablo Guillen returns to the fold for the Aces. The 2020-21 MVC Freshmen of the Year, Guillen led Evansville with four goals a season ago and recorded his first of the 2021 campaign in the 53rd minute on a penalty that gave Evansville an early 1-0 lead over Bellarmine on Thursday.
LUC: Big Week for Billy
Loyola senior midfielder Billy Hency enjoyed a red-hot start to the 2021 season this past week, firing home three goals across the Maroon & Gold’s opening two games, highlighted by game-winning tallies in both contests. The reigning MVC Player and Midfielder of the Year, Hency, a Preseason All-America selection by College Soccer News was also recognized on the national stage, earning a spot on the watch list for the prestigious Missouri Athletic Club (MAC) Hermann Trophy.
MSU: Another Perfect Start
The returning MVC regular-season and tournament champions started their season 2-0 for the third straight year with wins over Belmont and Rockhurst late last week. Thursday night’s win in the first game of the season at Bobby & Betty Allison Stadium extends the Bears’ streak of being unbeaten in home openers to 24, dating back to 1998.
SIUE: Trip Up North
The Cougars have never lost in Madison, Wis., improving to 3-0-2 on the road against the Badgers following a 1-1 draw in the season opener. The 4-3 loss to #19 Marquette marked the first of three times the Cougars are set to face a top 25 opponent (Missouri State twice) based on the preseason rankings by United Soccer Coaches.
This week's Missouri Valley Conference Players of the Week are Loyola Chicago's Billy Hency and Bradley's Bryce Logan.
MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Billy Hency, Sr., M, Loyola Chicago
Coming off a sizzling spring season, Loyola senior midfielder Billy Hency looked to pick up right where he left off on the opening week of the 2021 season. The reigning MVC Player of the Year, Hency opened his account for the new campaign in the 52nd minute of Thursday’s clash with city rival DePaul, netting what would serve as the game-winning goal in the Ramblers’ 2-1 triumph over the Blue Demons. He was back at it again in Sunday’s clash with Western Michigan, converting twice from the penalty spot, the first of which was the deciding goal, in the Maroon & Gold’s 4-2 victory. Hency’s currently finds himself tied for first overall on The Valley’s goals leaderboard.
Other Notable Performances: Jake Schoffstall (BU); Juan Louis (DU); Davis Peck (UE); Jon Koka (MSU); Max Broughton (SIUE)
MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Bryce Logan, Gr., GK, Bradley
Logan came up huge early as the young Bradley team got its footing and finished the night with four saves to complete the clean sheet in Bradley’s 1-0 win against Omaha in the season-opener for both teams Thursday night at Shea Stadium … Facing nine shots in the first half, Logan made a pair of quality saves against Omaha’s early pressure and finished the half with three of his four saves on the night … The reigning MVC Goalkeeper of the Year earned his second career shutout as a Brave and the graduate transfer from Washington now boasts 10.0 career shutouts.
Other Notable Performances: Oliver Hald (UE); Kyle Hiebert (MSU)