Posted: Aug 16, 2023

Men's Soccer: Season preview

Facts and figures to get you ready for the seventh Indiana University East men's soccer season.

WHAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR?

Record: The Red Wolves reached double digits in victories for the third time in the history of the program with a 10-7-3 overall record.

Conference: IU East was 4-3-2. The Red Wolves have qualified for the River States Conference Championships in all six seasons since joining the NAIA in 2017. IU East lost 3-0 to the University of Rio Grande in the RSC semifinals last year after beating Brescia University 2-1 in the RSC Quarterfinals.

RED WOLVES IN THE RANKINGS

6th - IU East was sixth out of 11 squads in the RSC men's soccer preseason poll. Rio Grande is in the top spot after winning its third straight postseason title in 2022.

QUOTABLE

"Defensively, I think we have the opportunity to be pretty good this year. We have returning all-conference players in Peter Lamprou, Alex Visscher, Callum Coleman, Josh Hlei and returning starters in Thawng Lian and Phil Kegbeh. I expect to lean on that group early as we sort things out offensively. I can understand our preseason ranking and why other coaches might've put us where they did, but I like our chances. We've gotten results against almost every team above us and I can definitely see us sneaking up and surprising some people by the time all is said and done." - IU East head coach Steve Moore.

BY THE NUMBERS

2 - There are two new RSC foes this season as Shawnee State University and IUPUC have joined the league.

3 - The number of Red Wolves earning RSC postseason honors last year. Lamprou was RSC First Team, while Coleman was on the second team with Hlei on the honorable mention list. Coleman and Visscher were both first team choices in 2021.

4 - IU East plays its first four matches at home with Lawrence Tech (Aug. 23) at Centerville, while Holy Cross College (Aug. 26), the University of St. Francis (Sept. 2) and the University of Pikeville (Sept. 4) will be in Eaton.

6 - The number of appearances in the RSC postseason for the Red Wolves.

13 - Hlei topped IU East with 13 points as he scored five times with three assists. Coleman also scored five goals for the Red Wolves in 2022.

MATCHES TO WATCH

Aug. 23 vs. Lawrence Tech - IU East opens the season against the Blue Devils at Centerville High School. Lawrence Tech won 3-0 in the only meeting between the schools back in 2021.

Sept. 23 at Rio Grande - The RedStorm are the RSC preseason favorite after reaching the NAIA National Championship semifinals last fall finishing at 12-3-2 with an 8-0-1 mark in the league.

Oct. 5 vs. Shawnee State - The Red Wolves are 2-1 against the Bears with a 2-0 loss last season, but this season Shawnee State is now a member of the RSC.