SIUE Cougars (4-10-2, 3-4-2 OVC) vs. Eastern Illinois Panthers (4-7-4, 3-3-3 OVC)
Sun., Nov. 2, 2:30 PM CT
Lakeside Field
Charleston, Illinois

LAST TIME: SIUE dropped a 2-1 decision to Western Illinois Thursday to conclude the home season.

THIS WEEK: SIUE wraps up its regular season at Eastern Illinois Sunday. The Cougars are fifth in the OVC standings and will clinch a spot in the Conference Tournament with a win or a tie.

ROAD TRIPPING: SIUE has just a single win on the road this year, and 0-2-2 on the road in OVC play.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: Wes Gibson (defender) and Noah Scheidweiler (goalkeeper) were named Players of the Week 10/21 following two shutout-wins. Evan Howard was named as the OVC Player of the Week 9/2 after he scored in each of SIUE's games in Colorado.

RANK AND FILE: SIUE has faced two ranked opponents so far this season, dropping 2-1 games on the road at No. 21 Denver and No. 16 Saint Louis.

THE SERIES: The Cougars and Panthers have faced off 35 previous times in men's soccer in a series that dates back to 1968. The OVC marks the third different conference that SIUE and Eastern Illinois have shared. The Cougars have won nine in a row in the series, including a 1-0 win 10/5 at SIUE. 

SCORING: Evan Howard is tied for the league lead in the OVC with eight goals this year. Zach Renz scored his first career goal in the win over HCU. The Cougars had two first-time goal scorers 10/12 with Dom Bartoni and Ben Perkins both scoring at USI. SIUE lost its seven top scorers and eight of the top 10 after last season. The Cougars opened the season with just four goal scorers from a season ago representing six of 30 goals (20 percent) scored in 2024. Returners account for just 18 percent (15 of 85) of total points scored in 2024.

AT THE HELM: Two-time OVC Coach of the Year Cale Wassermann is in his seventh season in charge of the Cougars, and his 12th overall as a head coach. He has a record of 56-45-16 (.547) in six-plus seasons at SIUE. He is third all-time in wins at SIUE.