Men's Soccer

MVC Men's Soccer Weekly Notebook (Sept. 15)

Player of the Week: Mitch Coughlon, Bradley
Defensive Player of the Week: Takeru Chiba, UIC
Goalkeeper of the Week: Owen Cornell, UIC

Mitch Coughlon delivered a standout performance in Bradley’s lone match of the week, scoring twice in a 3-3 draw against Eastern Illinois on Sept. 11. The Preseason All-MVC selection’s brace was his first of the 2026 season and the third of his career, while also moving him into the top 15 in Bradley career goals. Coughlon finished with three shots, two shots on goal and four points in 76 minutes of action. His two-goal performance moved him into a tie for first in the MVC in both goals and points, while his four shots on goal rank fourth in the conference. Coughlon’s continued production has helped fuel a Bradley offense averaging 1.8 goals per game, second-best in the MVC, while helping the Braves extend their unbeaten streak to three matches.

Takeru Chiba anchored a dominant UIC defensive effort last week, playing all 180 minutes as the Flames posted consecutive shutout victories over Western Illinois and previously unbeaten Loyola Chicago. UIC defeated Western Illinois 2-0 before earning a 1-0 victory over Loyola, with Chiba helping the Flames' back line limit both opponents to zero goals. The two opponents entered the week averaging 2.0 goals per match, with Loyola ranked second in the Atlantic 10 in scoring. Chiba and the UIC defense held both offenses in check to record their first two shutouts of the season and the Flames’ first back-to-back clean sheets in two years. Chiba also contributed offensively with three shots, including two shots on goal against Western Illinois.

Owen Cornell was a wall in goal for UIC last week, playing all 180 minutes and recording 10 saves while leading the Flames to shutout victories over Western Illinois and previously unbeaten Loyola Chicago. Cornell posted a three-save shutout in UIC’s 2-0 win over Western Illinois before making a career-high seven saves in the 1-0 victory over Loyola. His performance against Loyola included two critical stops in the final 10 minutes to preserve the one-goal lead. Cornell finished the week with a perfect 1.000 save percentage, a 0.00 goals-against average and two shutouts. The back-to-back clean sheets marked the first two shutouts of the season for Cornell and the Flames, as well as the first consecutive shutouts of Cornell’s career and UIC’s first back-to-back clean sheets in two years.

Conference News & Notes
  • A trio of top-25 opponents are on the slate for Valley schools this week. No. 18 Cornell heads to Kalamazoo on Saturday for a matchup with Western Michigan. On Monday, Evansville and Belmont will travel to face No. 4 Georgetown and No. 21 Louisville, respectively. 
  • This week marks the final full week of men’s soccer non-conference action before Valley play begins on Friday, September 25. 
  • Bowling Green’s starting lineup has included at least three rookies in every match this season, including Lucas Brinkman and Joshua Pedersen, who each registered a goal in the Falcons’ 2-2 draw with DePaul on Friday. 
  • Bradley’s four draws this season are tied for the second-most in Division I, joining nine other programs nationally with at least four ties. The Braves are 1-1-4 through their first six matches in 2026. 
  • Drake picked up its fourth shutout of the year on Saturday, moving to 4-1-2 on the year. The Bulldogs’ four clean sheets are tied for the most in Division I through a program’s first seven matches, while they rank sixth nationally in goals against average (0.429), giving up just three so far this season.
  • Evansville earned its first victory of the season on Friday, powering past Lindenwood, 3-0, on the road. The Purple Aces’ defense held the Lions to zero shots in the final 25 minutes of the match, while Hugo Amo made a pair of saves in UE’s first clean sheet of the season.
  • With its 1-0 shutout of Loyola, UIC remained unbeaten in its last six matches (5-0-1) against Chicago schools, dating back to the 2024 campaign. The Flames look to keep the streak alive this weekend when it hosts Northwestern. 
  • A pair of MVC coaches are closing in on 150 career victories at the Division I level. UIC’s Sean Phillips is just one win shy of the milestone, while Western Michigan’s Chad Wiseman needs six victories.