Match Preview: Faith Men's Soccer vs. Barclay
Week 9: #8/#2 Faith (9-3-2) vs. NR/#3 Barclay College (3-6-0) |
|
| Match 15: Barclay |
Friday, Oct. 31 | 3:30 p.m. CT | Barclay Campus | Haviland, KS |
| Watch Live: | |
| MCCC Tournament: | |
Ankeny, IA -- Faith men's soccer competes in the MCCC Tournament semifinals Friday afternoon. The Eagles enter the tournament as the #2 seed and will take on #3 Barclay at 3:30 p.m. CT. The winner earns their spot in the championship match, and the loser will play in the 3rd place match - Both taking place on Saturday, November 1st.
LAST TIME OUT
The Eagles got on the board first but fell to CCCB, 2-1. Faith heads into the postseason as MCCC regular season runners-up and has earned the #2 seed for the MCCC Tournament.
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. The Eagles have been ranked in three straight polls, mobing to #8 on October 21st.
TOP OF THE CONFERENCE
With wins over Barclay, Emmaus, and Ozark, the Eagles are currently 5-1-0 in MCCC play and are #1 in the Conference heading into week nine of the season. The weekend ahead will determine final regular season standings as Faith and CCCB clash one more time for the regular season championship and the #1 seed heading into the MCCC Tournament.
GROOVY GOALKEEPERS
The Eagles have posted six 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) adding another against the Eagles on October 7, and his third against Trinity on October 18th. The Keepers split time against both Union and Calvary to bring the team's shutout count to six.
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 BEARS
Barclay finished as the #3 seed in Conference standings with a 4-3-0 record in MCCC play. The teams met once in the regular season, with Faith earning the 2-0 victory.
