Pikeville, KY – Under the new leadership of Head Coach Shaun Schetka, UPIKE's men's soccer squad is set to kick-off the 2021 campaign next week against Bluefield College.

The Bears take to Bob Amos Field on Wednesday, August 25^th where they will take on the Rams with a game slated to start at 1PM.

Schetka, who has served as the assistant coach for both the men's and women's programs for five seasons, is motivated to elevate the team to new heights. Equipped with a roster that features returning leadership and ample new talent, the Bears look ahead at a 15-game schedule that features seven home contests and an exhibition match at home against Alice Lloyd on September 16^th.

Following the Bluefield contest, UPIKE returns to Bob Amos Field against the Milligan Buffaloes on September 1^st for a 2PM kick-off. After a pair of games on the road against Midway and Lees McRae College, the Bears return home for the Alice Lloyd exhibition before opening the MSC schedule on the road against Campbellsville on September 21^st.

On September 24^th, the squad heads to Columbia for a tough matchup with Lindsey Wilson, before heading to Georgetown on September 28^th for a 6PM kick-off against the Tigers. Thomas More is on the docket as the Bears first home conference matchup on Saturday, October 2^nd and is followed by home matchups against Cumberland on October 8^th and Tennessee-Southern on October 10^th.

After a pair of games on the road, UPIKE men's soccer returns to Pikeville to take on Bethel on October 21^st and Freed-Hardeman on the 23^rd. The Bears wrap up the regular season on October 27^th against Shawnee State University.

New and Familiar Faces

International talent highlights the incoming talent for the Bears who bring in seven student-athletes from abroad. The roster also includes a handful of mainstays who return to the team including last year's leading scorer in Favio Govea. Seniors Rodny Rodriguez, Victor Vechi, Javier Pozas, and Ethan Duncan also bring their experience back to the lineup.

Check out our full preseason interview with Coach Schetka here.