Match Preview: Faith Men's Soccer vs. Spurgeon
Week 8: #9 Faith (7-2-1) vs. RV Spurgeon College (5-3-1) |
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| Match 11: Spurgeon |
Tuesday, Oct. 14 | 1:00 p.m. CT | Central Bank Sporting Complex (Field 7) | Kansas City, MO |
| Watch Live: | |
| Live Stats: | |
Ankeny, IA -- Faith men's soccer competes against Spurgeon College on the road. Kickoff at the Central Bank Sporting Complex is set for Tuesday at 1:00 p.m. CT.
LAST TIME OUT
The Eagles played an intense match against #8 CCCB on Saturday for a thrilling homecoming match, falling 0-1 to the Saints.
TOP TEN
Faith men's soccer earned a spot in the National Rankings on September 23rd, marking their first time breaking into the top ten since September 14th, 2021. Ranked at #6, the Eagles received their highest spot in the coaches poll since December of 2015. In the October 7th poll, Faith moved to #9 in the rankings.
TOP OF THE CONFERENCE
With wins over Barclay, Emmaus, and Ozark, the Eagles are currently 4-1-0 in MCCC play and are #1 in the Conference heading into week eight of the season.
GROOVY GOALKEEPERS
The Eagles have posted five shutouts in 2025 so far. Enzo Pileggi snagged two saves in his first clean sheet of the season against Barclay (9/12), and Zeke Denger recorded 4 saves on his way to his first career clean sheet against Emmaus (9/16) and added another against the Eagles on October 7. The Keepers split time against both Union and Calvary to bring the team's shutout count to five.
FIRST GOAL
Austin Lundberg scored the first goal of the year for the Eagles, marking his first career goal in the process.
FAITH NOTES
- Faith finished the 2024 season with an 7-13-1 record, finishing their season in the North Region tournament semifinals.
- The Eagles return over half of their offensive output from the 2024 season, with 55% (22/40) of the team's goals and 53% (17/32) of its assists.
- Faith competed in one preseason scrimmage against North Central, allowing them to test new roles and lineups before the season began.
- The Eagles return 10 members from the 2024 squad, seven of which started double-digit matches in 2024; Andre Quintana (18), Enzo Pileggi (18), Parker Lundberg (17), Zachary Choi (15), Grant Busenitz (15), Kevin Richardson (14), and Carter Whitcher (12).
NEW FACES
The Eagles men's soccer program and head coach Gary Backous welcome 15 newcomers to the 2025 roster. The new additions look to have an immediate impact in every area of the field.
SCOUTING THE KNIGHTS
Spurgeon ranks top five in the NCCAA in several offensive categories, scoring 4.25 goals per game. The Knights received one top ten vote in the most recent coaches poll.
