From a Frustrating Draw to a Shutout Win: SIUE Men’s Soccer Responds at Home

Two home games gave SIUE men’s soccer two very different results. On Sept. 16, the Cougars fought back for a 1-1 draw against Bradley at Korte Stadium. Four days later, they took an early lead against Webster and finished with a 3-0 win.

The change offered SIUE a timely lesson before Ohio Valley Conference play: a response matters as much as a setback.

McDonnell earns the draw

Bradley broke a scoreless tie in the 58th minute when Connor Chester scored after a give-and-go with Max Manzelmann. SIUE answered in the 72nd minute with a first career goal from Archie McDonnell.

Bobby Pauly moved the ball to Elliot Forestier on the left. Forestier sent it into the box, Juan Rodas settled it and played it back toward the top, and McDonnell struck from 19 yards out.

“I just thought I’m going to hit it as hard as I can, hope for the best, and luckily it went in,” McDonnell said. He also thanked the fans for the support at Korte Stadium.

SIUE finished with 16 shots to Bradley’s nine, but head coach Cale Wassermann wanted a stronger start. “I was extremely disappointed with our energy and quality on the night,” he said. He called for a more urgent mentality and better decisions to match the team’s work rate.

With 14 new players on a 25-man roster, those lessons could shape what comes next. The draw left SIUE at 1-4-1, and Webster was due at Korte Stadium on Sunday.

An early lead against Webster

The Cougars looked sharper against Webster on Sept. 20. Ryley Gibbs opened the scoring in the 18th minute off a pass from Anthony Faupel. Nine minutes later, McDonnell headed in his second goal in as many games, putting SIUE ahead 2-0 before halftime.

Dominic Bartoni added the final goal in the 54th minute. SIUE finished with a season-high 17 shots and limited Webster to eight, including none in the second half.

Goalkeepers Ioannis Koupepides and freshman Brady Cochrane combined for the shutout. Koupepides made three saves before Cochrane entered for the final 29 minutes of his collegiate debut. Wassermann said Cochrane had earned the opportunity through his work in training. He also highlighted Anton Mosley’s first career start at center back and the contributions of players throughout the lineup.

“We had good balance all over the field,” Wassermann said. “We had guys contributing from top to bottom, and that’s what we want to see.”

Carrying the response forward

Against Bradley, SIUE fell behind and had to recover. Against Webster, it set the pace and kept a clean sheet. The win improved the Cougars to 2-4-1 and closed their nonconference schedule.

The next test is the Ohio Valley Conference opener against Southern Indiana at Korte Stadium on Sept. 26, SIUE’s Homecoming game. After two contrasting results at home, the Cougars have seen the urgency and balance their coach wants. Now they have a chance to carry both into conference play.