Preseason
The Cougars return thirteen players from 2023 as well as a redshirt. They are joined by five freshmen and eight transfers from other schools. [3] Included in the returners are the Cougars' four top scorers from 2023, Pavel Dashin, Stephan Moreira, Ignacio "Nacho" Abeal Pou, and Jake Karolczak. These four, plus six other returners accounted for 29 goals and 27 assists of last season's total 44 goals and 46 assists. [4]
In August, the OVC head coaches and communications directors voted to pick the preseason favorite to win the OVC Men's Soccer Championship. Teams received 7 points for a first-place votes, 6 for a second-place vote, etc.
2023 OVC Men's Soccer Predicted Order of Finish [5]
1. SIUE (11 first-place votes) - 95 points
2. Liberty (3) - 79
4. Lindenwood - 66
5. HCU (2) - 59
6. Eastern Illinois - 36
7. Western Illinois - 25
8. Southern Indiana - 21
In the TopDrawerSoccer.com Preseason College Soccer National Ranking, the Cougars were ranked #25. [6]
Regular season
In the season opener, the statistics would seem to show the Big Ten's Michigan State Spartans dominating the Cougars by leading 12-4 in shots, 6-3 in shots on goal, and 3-1 on corner kicks, but the final score was a 1-1 draw. Strong defense was the keynote for both teams, as they moved up and down the pitch, with the Cougars reluctant to take the less-than-perfect shot. After a near-thing foul in the box, Sparty scored first on a penalty kick in the 38th minute that was the only thing to get past Rob Gjelaj in his debut as the Cougars' goalkeeper. In the 60th minute, Patrick Coleman sent a perfect pass to Nic Muench that was driven past the MSU keeper to earn the draw. [7]
In the first game of their Wolstein Classic, the Big Ten's 20th ranked Ohio State Buckeyes, the Cougars were pretty much dominated in the first half, and, although the second half was fairly well evenly-played, OSU added two more goals to the two from the first half. With four Buckeyes scoring and three of the four adding assists, the home team outshot the Cougars 17-8 and 10-2 on goal. Although conceding the four goals, Rob Gjelaj made six saves before both sides changed goalkeepers late in the game. Nic Muench led the Cougars with three shots, and Wes Gibson got off two, but it was too little to matter. [8]
Despite Rob Gjelaj turning away a penalty shot in the thirteenth minute, Dayton dominated the Cougars in the second game of Ohio State's Wolstein Classic. The Flyers scored once in the first half and three times in the second, even though Gjelaj made eight saves and Ethan Kornas added two more versus Dayton's onslaught of 31 shots, including 15 on goal. Nacho Abeal took two of SIUE's nine shots. [9]
In front of 6,128 fans, the SIUE Cougars and the 19th ranked St. Louis Billikens met in Downtown West at CityPark in the 41st iteration of the Bronze Boot Game for possession of the Joseph Carenza, Sr. Trophy. The Bills may have won the statistical battle, but the Cougars won the game and took home the Bronze Boot for the second consecutive year. In the 62nd minute, Nacho Abeal was driving toward the goal and was fouled inside the box. Yasha Schaerer converted the penalty kick to give SIUE the 1-0 lead. The Billikens outshot the Cougars 13-4 overall and 4-2 in shots on goal, and they were especially active in the late stages of the game, but Rob Gjelaj made saves on all four potential scores to keep a clean sheet and seal SIUE's first win of the season. The Cougars are now 1-2-1. [10]
The game was rescheduled from Thursday to Friday to miss the heavy weather of Hurricane Francine's aftermath, but the Cougars and the Memphis Tigers still played to a 1-1 draw in a steady rainfall. As has generally been the course this season, SIUE trailed the home team in shots 16-8 and on goal 7-5, but both squads was strong enough on defense to prevent any scoring after the game's first seventeen minutes. In the 13th minute, Nacho Abeal pounced on a ball that was loosed by a midfield slip in the wet pitch and flew toward the goal, driving his shot past the keeper to give the Cougars the lead. Five minutes later, as play resumed following an injury substitution, the home team was scurrying around seemingly before SIUE was ready to resume; the ball ended up in a mad scramble right in front of the net, and a Memphis foot knocked it past Rob Gjelaj, who was unable to make one of his six saves. The rest of the match, it was the Tigers pressing and the Cougars turning them away, then the Cougars pressing before it was the Tigers once more. Nic Meunch led SIUE with two shots on goal. With the draw, the Cougars record is now 1-2-2. [11]
Honors
Following the season opening draw with Michigan State, defender Nic Muench was named the Ohio Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Week for his game-tying goal, and Rob Gjelaj was named the Ohio Valley Conference Goalkkeeper of the Week for allowing only a penalty kick goal while making 5 saves [12]
Nik Muench and Jacob Bilyeu were named to the Wolstein Classic All-Tournament Team. [9]
After the Cougars beat 19th ranked St.Louis U. in the Bronze Boot Game, Wes Gibson was named the Ohio Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Week for his job of captaining the defense, and Rob Gjelaj was named the Ohio Valley Conference Goalkkeeper of the Week for the second time for making four saves and keeping a clean sheet versus SLU. [13]
Following the Memphis game, Rob Gjelaj was named the Ohio Valley Conference Co-Goalkkeeper of the Week, his third award of the season. [14]
Following the opening weekend of OVC play, Nic Muench was named the Ohio Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Week for the second time, and Rob Gjelaj was awarded the Ohio Valley Conference Co-Goalkkeeper of the Week honor, his fourth award of the season.. [15]
After scoring a goal and having an assist in the Lindenwood game, sophomore Yasha Schaerer was named the Prairie Farms Cougar of the Week. [16]
Graduate student Wes Gibson was recognized as the Ohio Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Week after helping SIUE to a pair of shutout wins over Eastern Illinois and Southern Indiana. It was Gibson's second award of the season. [17]
Following a week that saw SIUE men's soccer move to 5-0 in Ohio Valley Conference play, Ignacio "Nacho" Abeal was named the Ohio Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Week, and Rob Gjelaj was designated the Ohio Valley Conference Goalkkeeper of the Week for the fifth time. [18]
For his consistently solid play, and especially for his goal from more than 70 yards away versus Liberty, Carles Zomeno was named the Prairie Farms Cougar of the Week. [19]
Graduate student forward Jacob Bilyeu was named as the newest recipient of the Cougars' prestigious Jack Blake Award. [20]
For the third time this season, senior Nic Muench earned the Ohio Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Week award after leading SIUE to a 3-0 win on Senior Day. [21]
For his performance in SIUE's 3-0 win over Western Illinois on Senior Day, Jacobo Sanfeliu was named the Prairie Farms Cougar of the Week. [22]
For the sixth time of the season, Rob Gjelaj was selected as the Ohio Valley Conference Goalkeeper of the Week after wins at Southern Indiana and Eastern Illinois. [23]
After winning a second consecutive Ohio Valley Conference Regular Season title, SIUE men's soccer was awarded with three major postseason awards and a total of seven selections to All-OVC teams. Rob Gjelaj was selected as the Ohio Valley Conference Goalkeeper of the Year. Yasha Schaerer was named Ohio Valley Conference Midfielder of the Year. For the second straight season, Head Coach Cale Wassermann was tabbed as the Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year. Nic Muench joined Gjelaj and Scharerer on the All-OVC First Team. "Nacho" Abeal, "Wes" Gibson, and Jacobo Sanfeliu were named to the All-OVC Second Team. Gjelaj, Schaerer, and Jacobo Sanfeliu were all named to the OVC All-Newcomer Team. [24]
The Cougars won their second consecutive OVC Tournament championship title, and Wes Gibson, Yasha Schaerer, Pavel Dashin, and Nic Muench were named to the All-Tournament Team. Additionally, Nic Muench was proclaimed the Most Valuable Player. [25]
