Match Preview: Faith Men's Soccer vs #3 Grace
Week 8: #9 Faith (8-2-1) vs. #3 Grace Christian University (5-6-1) |
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| Match 12: #3 Grace |
Friday, Oct. 17 | 3:00 p.m. CT | Pyche Field | Ankeny, IA |
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Ankeny, IA -- Faith men's soccer will compete against #3 Grace Christian in a top ten clash at home. The Eagles will kick off against the Tigers on Friday at 3:00 p.m. CT.
LAST TIME OUT
Faith edged out the Knights of Spurgeon college in a high scoring match, winning 4-2 with all goals coming from different scorers.
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 TIGERS
Grace has historically been a national powerhouse in the NCCAA DII, coming off of their sixth consecutive national tournament appearance in 2024. The Tigers compete in the Midwest Region and are 5-6-1 on the season (1-0-0 against mutual opponents).
