Benedictine Men's Soccer hits the road tonight to open postseason play night as the No. 7-seeded Ravens travel to Des Moines, Iowa, to take on No. 2 Grand View University in the Quarterfinals of the 2026 Heart Men's Soccer Conference Tournament.
Tonight's match is scheduled for 7 p.m. from the Crownie Soccer Complex. The live link is still being published on the UEN website, but should be live at https://www.urbanedgenetwork.net/watch/10195.
Both teams enter the postseason with identical 10-5-3 overall records, but the Vikings earned the No. 2 seed after finishing 9-3-2 in Heart play. Benedictine finished its conference schedule at 7-4-3.
Wednesday's match up is a rematch of the teams' Sept. 30 meeting in Atchison, when Grand View earned a 2-0 victory over the Ravens.
The winner advances to Saturday's Semifinal round against the winner of the No. 3 MNU and No. 6 Central Methodist quarterfinal.
ABOUT BENEDICTINE
The Ravens enter the Heart Tournament having won five of their last seven matches, a stretch that included three shutout victories.
Benedictine's offensive attack is led by Kody Argaez, who has scored 6 goals and added 5 assists for a team-high 17 points.
Argaez has taken 50 shots, including 23 on goal, and has converted both of his penalty-kick opportunities.
Juan Piratova has added 2 goals and a team-high 6 assists for 10 points. Henry Mullen has also recorded 6 assists, giving Benedictine multiple players capable of creating scoring opportunities.
Haruki Kervers and Zach Pedersen have scored 4 goals apiece.
Benedictine has scored 30 goals on 213 shots this season, averaging 1.67 goals and 11.8 shots per match.
The Ravens have scored 18 of their 30 goals in the first half, accounting for 60 percent of their season scoring.
Defensively, Benedictine has allowed 18 goals in 18 matches.
Goalkeeper Noah Reuscher has played more than 1,586 minutes across 18 appearances, recording 54 saves and a .750 save percentage. Reuscher has a 1.02 goals-against average and has contributed to four of the team's shutouts.
ABOUT GRAND VIEW
The Vikings have scored 38 goals this season, averaging 2.11 per match, while holding opponents to 18 goals.
Lucas Newhard leads Grand View with seven goals and four assists for 18 points.
Newhard has recorded 34 shots, including 21 on goal, and has scored one game-winning goal.
Herman Furumo has contributed 5 goals and a team-high 5 assists for 15 points, while Wilmont Manneh has added 5 goals and 1 assist for 11 points.
Saneyuki Yamagata has added 3 goals and 3 assists in 9 matches, while Justin Figaroa has scored 4 goals, including 2 game-winners.
Grand View has placed 120 of its 225 shots on goal, a .533 shots-on-goal percentage.
The Vikings have scored 19 goals in each half this season.
Defensively, Grand View has allowed 18 goals while limiting opponents to 154 shots, an average of 8.6 per match.
Goalkeeper Luis Helm has appeared in all 18 matches, playing more than 1,613 minutes.
Helm has recorded 59 saves, a .766 save percentage and a 1.00 goals-against average. He has been credited with 6 individual shutouts.
Grand View enters the tournament unbeaten in its last 5 matches, going 4-0-1 during that stretch.
The Vikings closed their regular season with a 2-0 win over Missouri Valley on Oct. 31.
KEYS TO THE MATCH
Create quality scoring opportunities: Benedictine has averaged 11.8 shots per match, while Grand View has averaged 12.5. The Vikings have been more efficient in putting attempts on goal, recording 120 shots on frame compared to 88 for the Ravens. Benedictine will need to improve its accuracy against a defense that has recorded seven shutouts.
Get on the scoreboard early: Benedictine has scored 18 of its 30 goals in the first half, while Grand View has allowed 11 of its 18 goals before halftime. An early goal could help the Ravens establish momentum in a rematch of their September loss.
Limit Grand View's scoring options: The Vikings have five players with at least four goals, led by Newhard's seven. Benedictine will need to account for multiple attacking threats rather than focusing exclusively on Grand View's leading scorer.
Take advantage of set pieces: The teams have produced similar corner-kick totals, with Grand View earning 75 and Benedictine recording 71. The Ravens have generated 44 of their 71 corners in the second half, making set-piece execution an important potential factor.
Maintain defensive organization after halftime: Benedictine has allowed 12 of its 18 goals in the second half, compared to six before halftime. Grand View has scored 19 goals in each half. Maintaining defensive discipline throughout the final 45 minutes will be important against a team that has recorded four wins and a draw in its last five matches.
HEART TOURNAMENT PICTURE
The Heart Conference Tournament features eight teams competing for the tournament title.
Wednesday's quarterfinal match ups are:
No. 1 William Penn vs. No. 8 Missouri Baptist – 7 p.m. – Oskaloosa, Iowa
No. 4 Missouri Valley vs. No. 5 Graceland – 7 p.m. – Marshall, Mo.
No. 3 MidAmerica Nazarene vs. No. 6 Central Methodist – 1 p.m. – Olathe
No. 2 Grand View vs. No. 7 Benedictine – 7 p.m. – Des Moines, Iowa
Quarterfinal winners advance to the Semifinals on Saturday, Nov. 7, with the Championship Match scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 11. All matches are played on the campus site of the higher seeded team in the pairing.
www.ravenathletics.com | #UnleashGreatness | www.benedictine.edu
