DePaul University Athletics
DePaul University
No. 17 Louisville
Blue Demons Visit No. 17 Louisville for Second Straight Ranked Test
10/5/2026 6:11:00 PM | MEN'S SOCCER
Old BIG EAST rivals meet for the first time since 2012
CHICAGO – DePaul men's soccer heads south for a Tuesday night matchup with No. 17 Louisville, kicking off at 5 p.m. CT at Dr. Mark & Cindy Lynn Stadium. The match will stream live on ACCNX and marks the Blue Demons' second-straight meeting with a ranked opponent, as well as their penultimate nonconference contest of the regular season.
Demon Doings
DePaul enters Tuesday's match 2-2-4 overall and 0-1-1 in BIG EAST play after falling 2-0 to No. 18 Akron on Friday at Wish Field in a physical match. Chance Johnson turned in a career-high seven saves and is averaging 3.83 saves per game, third-best in the BIG EAST.
Noeh Hernandez led the attack against Akron with three shots, and the Preseason All-BIG EAST pick and two-time BIG EAST weekly honoree paces DePaul with five goals and four assists for 14 points. His 1.75 points per game rank 15th nationally and second in the league, and he has two game-winning goals on the season. Daniel Hickiewicz matches Hernandez with a team-high four assists, while Luca Iaccino adds three goals and an assist.
As a team, DePaul ranks 19th nationally and third in the BIG EAST with 2.38 assists per game, and 28th nationally and fourth in the league with 15.38 shots per game.
Scouting Louisville
The Cardinals enter Tuesday's match 8-1-2 on the season and 2-1-1 in the ACC after a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over NC State on Friday. Louisville is unbeaten at home (6-0-2) and has scored 16 of its 24 goals after halftime. Giacomo Zizza has a team-high 16 points (5 goals, 6 assists), while sophomore forward Andrés Escudero Martín has netted a team-best six goals. Goalkeeper Nathaniel Abraham owns a 1.02 GAA with three shutouts this season. John Michael Hayden is in his eighth season leading the program.
Series Stuff
Louisville leads the all-time series 14-7-2 in a rivalry that dates to 1988 and spans stints together in both Conference USA and the BIG EAST. Tuesday marks the first meeting since 2012, when the Cardinals won 3-0 in Louisville. DePaul won three straight in the series from 2005 to 2007 but has not beaten Louisville since a 2-1 win at home on Oct. 24, 2007.
Up Next
The Blue Demons return to BIG EAST play Saturday, Oct. 10, with a trip to Storrs, Connecticut, to take on UConn. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. CT, with the match streaming on ESPN+.
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