WILMINGTON, Ohio - The Wilmington College men's soccer team brings its unbeaten record into the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) opener at Heidelberg University on Saturday afternoon. Kickoff is slated for noon.
The Teams: Wilmington and Heidelberg. The Fightin' Quakers enter the game with a 7-0-1 record after dispatching Geneva College (Pennsylvania) 3-1 at home on Saturday. The Student Princes are an even 4-4-0 on the season and most recently defeated Albion College 4-1 on Saturday.
The Coaches: Alex Van der Sluijs is in his fourth year leading Wilmington's men's soccer team. The 2007 alumnus, who was a three-time First Team All-OAC selection and a member of the program's only team to win an OAC title in 2004, got the program within a shootout victory of playing for an OAC Tournament title in the spring of 2021. He worked at Defiance College for seven seasons. Nick Spell is in his 16ths season at Heidelberg, but his first as Director of Soccer with oversight on both programs.
The Players: Wilmington boasts a high-octane offense as three Quakers – Yusef Muqtadir, Elorm Dogbey and Jeffry Vasquez – all have a total of 10 points and each have scored at least four goals. Ryan Forino, Michael Owusu, Mitch Solle and Brady Vilvens have also netted multiple goals on the season. In goal, Felix Maurer has allowed four goals on 24 shots in over 700 minutes in net. Heidelberg is led by Rafael Bellucci Marin and Christopher Flores, both of which have scored three goals.
Regional Rankings: Wilmington sits third in the United Soccer Coaches' most recent regional rankings. Additionally, the Quakers are receiving votes to be ranked in the national Top 25 Poll.
Series History: Wilmington is 12-10-2 against Heidelberg since becoming an NCAA Division III member in the early 1990s. The Quakers have shutout the Student Princes in their last two matchups, but Berg claimed a 2-0 win the last time the team's met in Tiffin (Sept. 29, 2019). More information on the serheidelbergies history can be viewed by visiting the link above.
Coverage: Live statistics of the contest will be available – visit the links above.
Social Media: Follow Wilmington athletics on social media! The Fightin' Quakers have a presence on Facebook (Wilmington College Athletics) as well as Twitter and Instagram (@DubCQuakers).
Up Next: Wilmington will travel to Muskingum University for a 7 p.m. contest on Wednesday.
