THIS WEEKEND - Harding opens its seventh season of men’s soccer Friday when it travels to Springfield, Mo., to meet Drury University ... the Bisons then open at home on Sunday against the University of Missouri-St. Louis ... the games are the first two of six non-conference games to open the season.
THE BISONS - Harding returns seven starters and 15 letterwinners off last season’s team that finished the season 3-12-1 overall and 1-6-1 in the GSC ... sophomore midfielder Colby Wilson is Harding’s leading returning scorer with four goals last season ... also back is starting goalkeeper sophomore Ryan Hamilton ... the Bisons are coached by Dr. Greg Harris, who is in his sixth season.
THE PANTHERS - Drury University is located in Springfield, Mo., and is a member of the NCAA II Great Lakes Valley Conference ... last season the Panthers compiled a 7-10-2 overall record and a 4-7-2 mark in conference play ... Drury has seven starters and 10 letterwinners returning ... junior forward Cody Reinberg is DU’s leading returning scorer with six goals and three assists last season ... the Panthers do not have a goalkeeper returning from last season’s team ... Alf Bilbao is in his second season as head coach of the Panthers.
THE RIVERMEN - The University of Missouri-St. Louis and is a member of the NCAA II Great Lakes Valley Conference ... last season the Panthers compiled a 4-9-4 overall record and a 3-8-2 mark in conference play ... sophomore forward Jared Smith is UMSL’s leading returning scorer with four goals last season ... senior goalkeeper Zach Hoette (1.93 GAA, 1 ShO) returns from last season’s team ... Dan King is entering his sixth season as the head coach of the Rivermen ... he has a 31-50-10 overall record.
THE SERIES - Drury leads the all-time series with Harding, 1-0 ... the two teams met last season on Aug. 26 with the Panthers taking a 2-0 victory. Harding and UMSL are meeting for the first time.
THE LAST MEETING - Drury scored its first goal in the 6th minute to take an early lead on Harding in a contest played before 370 specatators at First Security Stadium ... Cody Reinberg scored the first goal on an assist from Scott Deal ... UMSL made it 2-0 on a header by Thomas Williams off Greg Jones’ corner kick ... Ryan Hamilton had seven saves for Harding.
FOR OPENERS - Harding is 1-5-0 all-time in season openers ... the Bisons last win in an opener came in 2000, a 5-2 victory over Williams Baptist in the team’s first official game ... Harding has not scored in each of its last two season openers ... Harding is 0-6-0 all-time in home openers ... last season, the Bisons dropped their season opener at home against Drury, 2-0.
