The UIS Prairie Stars men’s soccer team celebrated their first victory of the season on Friday night, defeating the Truman State Bulldogs 2-0 at Kiwanis Stadium. The win improves UIS’s overall record to one win, two losses, and one tie.

A large contingent of UIS students, sporting white “We Are Stars” shirts, filled the north end of the bleachers, creating a lively atmosphere. The crowd enthusiastically cheered for UIS while directing some light-hearted banter at the visiting Bulldogs. One fan shouted, “I’m sorry you made the trip. You might want to warm up the buses now.”

The first half of the match ended scoreless, but the Prairie Stars dominated with seven shots on goal, compared to just one by Truman State, which goalkeeper Joe Brudnak easily saved. Nearly 57 minutes into the second half, Joey Fitzgerald set up Or Levinstein for the opening goal of the night, breaking the deadlock.

UIS sealed the victory with a second goal in the 86th minute, when Anton Aduwa-Emovon found the back of the net after an assist from Gabe Smyth.

This marks the first win for UIS under new head coach Graham Shaw. The Prairie Stars hope to build on this momentum as they head on the road for their next match against the Quincy Hawks on Sunday.

Fans can watch the game live on the GLVC Sports Network.