In the final week of the season, the Men’s Soccer Team found themselves in a dogfight for the last playoff spot with Maryville, as both teams were tied for the eighth seed with three games left to go.

On a chilly Friday late afternoon with playoff implications looming, to say the Prairie Stars were in a must-win situation would be an understatement.

“If we win this game we basically are in the GLVC tournament,” said forward Kanye Sayon.

It would be a busy night of work for UIS keeper Tommy Geile, who had 20 shots kicked his way, 10 on net. He saved all of them to record his third clean sheet of the season.

Unluckily for the Stars however, the Knights clogged too many passing lanes, and the Stars were only able to muster three shots during the second half after attempting four in the first half.

As the game went into an extra period, both teams were scoreless; and with Maryville losing their Friday game, the Stars had a chance to take sole possession of the eighth seed.

However, they went scoreless in overtime, and had to settle for a 0-0 tie.

After the game, the UIS Athletic Department held Senior Night, recognizing Mac Leverenz, Dylan Stockman, Zachary Allevi, Nathan Berillo, Sayon, and Alejandro Inostroza.

“I’m going to miss the roar of the crowd and being with my teammates,” Sayon said after the ceremony. “I’m really going to miss that.”

In addition to the men, seniors Nikki Auble, Alena Miller, Sam Boettjer, and Alena Eitenmiller were honored as they were playing their second-to-last ever home game in a Prairie Star uniform.

As the cold weather asserted itself into the finale of the doubleheader, the Lady Stars engaged in a stalemate with the Lady Knights, as both teams went scoreless in the first half. The Lady Stars attempted four shots in the half, including two on goal, while the Lady Knights were bedeviled by Courtney Johnson, who had four saves in the first 45 minutes.

In the second half, UIS had four shots on goal – five total – but was unable to get anything past Taylor Smith, who capped out an impressive six-save clean sheet performance.

In the 86th minute, the Lady Knights broke the tie as Josie Metzger took a cross to score the game-winning goal off Johnson.

With the loss, The Prairie Stars dropped to 7-9 on the season, and 4-9 on the conference; however, with games left on the schedule, the Lady Stars have already set the program record for overall and conference wins in a season.