OVC Men's Soccer Championship
No. 1 SIUE Cougars (11-4-3) vs. No. 2 HCU Huskies (8-6-5)
Sat., Nov. 16, 6:00 p.m. 
Bob Guelker Field / Ralph Korte Stadium
Edwardsville, Illinois

LAST TIME: SIUE made a first-half strike hold, knocking out No. 5 seeded Incarnate Word 1-0 in the semifinal Wednesday night.

WHAT'S AT STAKE: SIUE is seeking its second consecutive OVC tournament title and its 25th trip to the NCAA Tournament, including 17 at the Division I level. A win would give the Cougars consecutive NCAA appearances for the first time since the 2006 and 2007 seasons (Division II). 

OVC-IT: This season marks the second season of OVC men's soccer. The Cougars have now won both regular season championships.

TITLE TOWN: The 2023 regular season title was the first OVC title for a men's program in any sport at SIUE.

HOW MAY I ASSIST YOU: OVC Midfielder of the Year Yasha Schaerer picked up another assist in the semifinal win. He leads the OVC with eight. He assisted on all three goals in SIUE's 3-0 win over Eastern Illinois Oct. 3. It was the first time a Cougar had three assists in a game since 2006.

THE SERIES: SIUE and HCU meet for the second time this season. HCU is the only OVC team to defeat SIUE in two seasons of conference play, winning 1-0 in October in Houston.

PENALTY BOX: SIUE is now 2-3 in penalty kicks. Yasha Schaerer (Saint Louis) and Nacho Abeal (at Lindenwood) have both converted. The Cougars were given a penalty nine times in 20 games in 2023 and was eight for nine in penalty attempts with five different players scoring.

AT THE HELM: Two-time OVC Coach of the Year Cale Wassermann is in his sixth season in charge of the Cougars, and his 11th overall as a head coach. He has a record of 51-33-14 (.586) in five seasons at SIUE. With the win at Southern Indiana, he is now third all-time in wins at SIUE.  

BRONZE BOOT STAYING IN EDWARDSVILLE: SIUE's shutout of the Billikens Sep. 8 means the Bronze Boot stays in Edwardsville for a second consecutive year. It is the first time the Cougars have won back-to-back games in the series since wins in 1979 and 1980.

TAKE YOUR SHOT: The Cougars recorded a season-high 27 shots at Lindenwood Oct. 10. It was the most shots in a game for the Cougars since they took 29 shots in a 2016 game against Central Arkansas. SIUE's .505 shot accuracy is second best in the OVC (trailing UIW) and No. 7 in the NCAA.