Matchday Info
Chicago State University (0-0-0) vs. Lindenwood Men's Soccer (0-0-0)
Thursday, August 20 | 7:00 p.m. CT
St. Charles, MO | Steward Field at Hunter Stadium
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Kicking Off
The Lindenwood Men's Soccer team starts the season off at home against Chicago State. Kick off from Steward Field at Hunter Stadium is set for 7:00 p.m. on Thursday evening.
 
Lions Storylines

• The Lions posted a record of 14-3-4 during the 2025 season, winning both the Ohio Valley Conference Regular Season and Postseason Championship. LU clinched their first Division I National Tournament berth in program history, taking down HCU in the Conference Tournament Final via penalty kicks .
• Lindenwood is entering their fifth season at the Division 1 level, earning 25 wins across the last two seasons.
• LU was undefeated at home last season, posting a record of 9-0-3 inside Steward Field at Hunter Stadium.
• Kris Bertsch will be entering his fourth season as head coach of the Lions with his team picked to finish first in the conference in the preseason poll. Bertsch was also named 2025 OVC Coach of the Year.
• Returning to the Lions is Forward Luca Bartoni, who had seven goals and five assists in 21 matches played last season. Bartoni was named the 2025 OVC Forward of the Year and the 2025 OVC Tournament MVP.

 
Preseason Favorites
LU was selected as preseason favorites in the OVC preseason poll, receiving 11 of 16 first place votes. Forward Luca Bartoni was also named a OVC Preseason Player to Watch for the Lions.
 
New Additions
Lindenwood welcomes a lot of new faces to the program that all look to build on the success of the program in 2025. A mix of incoming transfers and freshman make up a total of 23 new student athletes on the roster. The Lions also welcome Glodi Konga as Associate Head Coach. Konga has prior coaching experience at Liberty University, New College of Florida, and Eastern University.
 
About Chicago State

• The Cougars posted a record of 1-15-1 during the 2025 season with their lone win coming against Stonehill College in conference play.
• Chicago State hosted the Lions last season with the game ending in a 7-0 victory for the Lions in their 2025 season opener.
• This will be the second straight season in which the regular season kicks off with Chicago State facing off against Lindenwood

 
Next Up
The Lions have two contests next week. A trip to Indianapolis to face IU Indy on Monday, August 24, at 2:00 p.m. CT before returning home to face Blackburn College on Wednesday, August 26, at 7:00 p.m. at Hunter Stadium.