Soccer Game Preview: Mt. Vernon vs. Marion

Mt. Vernon is 0-10 against Marion since March of 2021 but things could change on Tuesday. The Rams will venture away from home to take on the Wildcats at 6:30 p.m. Marion took a loss in their last matchup and will be looking to turn the tables on Mt. Vernon, who comes in off a win.

Mt. Vernon proved they can win big on Saturday (they won by six) and on Monday they proved they can win the close ones too. They beat Massac County by a goal, winning 5-4. The victory was all the more spectacular given Mt. Vernon's disadvantage in MaxPreps' Illinois soccer rankings (they are ranked 327th, while Massac County are ranked 116th).

The home team had won the previous three meetings between Marion and Carbondale, and Carbondale kept the tradition alive. The Wildcats lost 4-0 to the Terriers on Thursday. Marion have struggled against Carbondale recently, as the game was their third consecutive lost matchup.

Mt. Vernon is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four contests. That's provided a massive bump to their 5-6 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they scored 18 goals over those four matches. As for Marion, their loss was their first in the conference, dropping their conference record down to 2-1 and their overall record down to 4-9.

Mt. Vernon might still be hurting after the 6-0 defeat they got from Marion when the teams last played back in October of 2024. Can the Rams avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.