DeKALB, Ill. — Friday afternoon marked a landmark occasion in Chicago State athletics history, as the men's soccer program stormed onto a pitch for the first time since the late 1980s.
In a Land of Lincoln battle against Northern Illinois (1-2-1), the Cougars (0-1) fell, 10-0.
"Yeah, it was a 10-0 game, but we fought all 90 minutes," head coach
Trevor Banks said. "Their attitudes were amazing. For me, that's the positive side of it. To watch them fight was great. It's not the result we wanted to walk away with, but you have to build from somewhere. You have to stay positive. We will, and we're going to continue to work."
Northern Illinois' Alex Welch converted a penalty kick goal in the 12th minute to put the Huskies in command early. NIU then surged ahead, pouring in five more goals in the first half and scoring four in the second to seal the victory.
During the summer, Chicago State revived a men's soccer program that hadn't competed in three decades. In July, Banks was brought aboard, coming over from Brown University, where he served as associate head coach.
"Coach Banks emerged as the choice to lead the restart of our men's soccer program because of his talent as a recruiter and his passion for leading within a championship culture," Director of Athletics
Elliott Charles said at the time.
Banks diligently scoured the world for the Cougars' inaugural Division I men's soccer recruiting class. The group features student-athletes from Chicago State's backyard as well as international talent from Germany, Rwanda, Papua New Guinea and more.
"Being able to do this in the Southside of Chicago, the same type of neighborhood I grew up in, is very special to me," Banks said.
Chicago State's return in men's soccer has also invigorated Cougars of the past, including Gideon Charles. Charles now serves an Adjunct Professor of Political Science at Chicago State, and he played on the last men's soccer team at the university before the re-launch.
"I sit back in awe," Charles said. "I'm passionate about the first game at Chicago State University in over 30 years.
Chicago State next faces Xavier University on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. CT at the Grand Park Sports Campus in Westfield, Indiana.
