Conway  - The Central Arkansas men's soccer team closes out the home portion of its 2018 season tonight at 7:00 PM, taking on the Loyola Ramblers in a battle of two of the Missouri Valley Conference's top teams. Prior to the match, the Bears will take the time to celebrate the careers of four players who will be donning a Central Arkansas uniform for the final time at the Stephens Complex, in defender Niklas Sandquist, midfielder Chris Holmes, midfielder Christian Ilia, and midfielder and defender Daltyn Knutson.

"This is a small group, but it's a group that has a major impact on this program and its history, because they essentially came into a program that didn't have any type of tradition and they created one," said UCA head coach Ross Duncan. "That's quite an achievement and that's the best thing I can say about them; that they re-shaped a program during their time here."

The group has been key as the Bears have made a stamp on the Missouri Valley Conference over the past four seasons, tallying 23 wins overall, including 12 in MVC play and 15 at the Stephens. They helped lead the Bears to an MVC Tournament Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance last season and have already secured a spot in this season's MVC Tournament, the fourth in a row for the Bears, all while writing their names in Central Arkansas' record books 15 times.

Sandquist, from Varberg, Sweden, has made 65 appearances for Central Arkansas, totaling 3,609 minutes played. He has three assists from his spot at left back and has put eight of his 17 shots on goal. He is pursuing a degree in Economics-International Trade.

"Niklas is a guy that has been a big part of what we've been able to do in the attack from his defensive position," said Duncan. "He can create a lot of opportunities with his work-rate and service from the left side, and I think he's really turned into a great two-way player for us."

Holmes, from Conway, Arkansas, has played 4,829 minutes over the course of 69 career games. A 2017 CoSIDA Academic All-America selection, he has scored eight goals and added nine assists for a total of 25 points. His six assists in 2017 are tied for eighth-most in a single season in program history, and he ranks sixth in program history in career minutes played. A member of the 2017 All-Missouri Valley Conference team, he is majoring in Health Services Administration.

"Chris is someone that has had a major impact on our program from day one," said Duncan. "He came in was immediately a consistent performer, and he's only gotten better. He's a guy that we're going to struggle to replace. His production on the field is hard to measure in numbers, because he does a lot of the dirty work that allows our other attackers to thrive."

Ilia, from Norrkoping, Sweden has three seasons at Central Arkansas after beginning his collegiate career at East Tennessee State, logging 2,068 minutes in 48 matches. His six assists this season are tied for eighth-most on UCA's single-season list and his 11 career assists are tied for eighth-most in program history. Ilia has added one goal as well. He is pursuing a degree in Economics-International Trade.

"Ilia is a guy that can change games," said Duncan. "He comes in as probably one of the more talented guys that we've had in the program, and when he turns it on he's hard to stop."

Knutson, from Spring, Texas, has shuffled back and forth between the midfield and back line for the Bears, seeing action in 67 games for a program record 5,904 minutes. He has four goals and ranks fourth in program history with 15 assists in his career, and he sits tied for eighth on the Bears' single-season assists list with six in 2016. A 2017 All-Missouri Valley Conference honoree, he is majoring in Finance.

"Daltyn is, for me, one of the most impactful midfielders in the Missouri Valley during his time here," said Duncan. "He's someone that I genuinely feel has been under-valued by our opponents, usually to their detriment. He's found ways to win games for us on the attacking side, he's found ways to win games for us on the defensive side; he's a guy that you almost can't take off the field because you know what you're going to lose if he's sitting next to you on the bench."

On the field, the Bears will welcome in league-leading Loyola with a simple goal: win and keep their MVC Title hopes alive. The game promises to be an exciting one, as the Ramblers feature the Valley's second-strongest defense, allowing just 0.81 goals per game, while the Central Arkansas enters at the league's premiere offensive side, averaging 1.62 goals per game and ranking third nationally with an average of 7.69 shots on goal per game.

"What a treat for us, on Senior Night, to play against the number one team in the conference in a game that can set  us up to win the whole thing," said Duncan, referencing that fact that if the Bears score a win over the Ramlers and follow with a win at Missouri State on November 3^rd they will secure their first MVC regular season title. "In terms of drawing up a nice story and a way to get your guys ready with something special to remember their Senior Game by, this is it. Loyola is probably the most consistently strong team we play in our conference, year in and year out, and they're highly talented and highly competitive. But we know what we need to do to win, we're playing at home, and we'll be buzzing for the game."

Senior Day ceremonies are set for 6:45 PM, followed by kickoff at 7:00 PM.