INDIANAPOLIS -- Featuring rematches of two of the Horizon League's top matches from the regular season, the Horizon League Men's Soccer Tournament semifinals get underway on Friday, with No. 2 Green Bay meeting No. 3 Loyola at 12 p.m. ET, while top-seed Butler meets No. 4 Cleveland State at 2:30 p.m. ET. Both matches will be carried live on HorizonLeague.com.
Green Bay (12-4-1) enters its first match of the tournament as perhaps the hottest team in the League, having won eight straight contests; the Phoenix have not lost in over a month, dating back to a 3-1 loss at Cleveland State (9-9-1) on Oct. 1. First Team All-Horizon League selection JC Banks leads the League with 29 points and a league-best 12 goals.
The Phoenix will meet at Loyola (5-10-2) squad that matched its season high with a three-goal outburst in a 3-0 win over Milwaukee on Tuesday. Willie Koss, who joined Banks on the first team, potted the final two goals for the Ramblers, who will be seeking their third Horizon League title in five years.
On Oct. 30, Green Bay staged a remarkable comeback in a 2-1 victory over Loyola; after a scoreless first half, the Ramblers grabbed a one-goal lead in the early part of the second half and seemed poised to record the road win.
However, with 90 seconds remaining in the match, All-League First Team choice Tony Walls found the back of the net to send the match into overtime. Two minutes into the first extra session, Banks drew a foul in the box, sending Walls to the penalty dot. For the second time in the game, Walls punched home the goal, sending the Phoenix to their seventh straight win.
Fans can who cannot make it to the Butler Bowl can watch the match live on HorizonLeague.com by clicking here.
Nationally ranked at No. 6, Butler (15-0-2) completed just the second unbeaten regular season in Horizon League history when the Bulldogs emerged with a 0-0 tie against Cleveland State last Friday at the Butler Bowl.
For the match, Butler finished with 21 shots to the Vikings' eight, but Horizon League Goalkeeper of the Year Brad Stuver stopped all seven shots on frame to lift Cleveland State.
Just a week later, Butler enters the match with a League-best eight All-League honorees. Leading the way for the Bulldogs is senior Ben Sippola, who picked up Horizon League Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year accolades. The straw that stirs the drink for Butler, Sippola controlled the midfield, leading the League with 9 assists while finishing second with 23 points.
Joining Sippola on the All-Horizon First Team was junior Matt Hedges, who recorded his second straight Horizon League Defensive Player of the Year honor.
Cleveland State put Stuver and defender Audric Kilroy on the first team, while Manuel Conde and Jeff Baker each earned Second Team All-League spots. Aslinn Rodas received All-Newcomer Team recognition.
For Butler, Kyle Pateros, Conner Burt, Ade Oleyedun and Fabian Knopfler were named to the second team, while Oleyedun, Jordan Burt and Austin Oldham were chosen for the All-Newcomer Team.
The match will be carried live on HorizonLeague.com, with the action starting at 2:30 p.m. ET. Fans can watch the match by clicking here.
The winners will meet for the League's automatic bid on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET at the Butler Bowl.
