The 2014 SIU Edwardsville Cougars men's soccer team represented Southern Illinois University Edwardsville during the 2014 NCAA Division I men's soccer season. The Cougars were coached in 2014 by co-head coaches Brian Jones and David Korn. The team played their home games on Bob Guelker Field at the Ralph Korte Stadium as an affiliate member of the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC).
Preseason
Fourteen players returned from the 8-9-2 team of 2013, including two first team All-Missouri Valley Conference performers: forward Christian Volesky and defender Matt Polster; All-MVC Honorable Mention defender Justin Bilyeu; and MVC All-Freshmen defenders Andrew Kendall-Moulin and Austin Ledbetter . They were joined by five "redshirted" freshmen who were in the group that was named one of the nation's top recruiting classes of 2013, a redshirted junior, a transfer who was First Team All-Conference in The Summit League, and five freshmen. The six member incoming 2014 class, like its predecessor, was rated one of the top recruiting classes in the country. SIUE is the only Division I team with 100% of its 2013 scoring players back for 2014.
For the second season in a row, defender Matt Polster was one of 32 players named to the preseason watch list for the Missouri Athletic Club’s Hermann Trophy, college soccer's highest individual award.
In Top Drawer Soccer's (TDS) preseason list of the top 100 college soccer players in the nation, Mat Polster was ranked #48. Additionally, the TDS preseason rankings of the top 20 players in each conference ranked Polster #2, Christian Volesky #3, Andrew Kendall-Moullin #17, and Justin Bilyeu #18 in the MVC.
In the MVC preseason coaches' poll, SIUE was picked to finish fifth. Seniors Matt Polster and Christian Volesky were named to the pre-season All-MVC team, Polster for the third season in a row, Volesky for the second.
In exhibition games, the Cougars defeated the Oakland Golden Grizzlies 3–1 at Korte Stadium and the IUPUI Jaguars 2–0 in Indianapolis.
Season
Former coach Scott Donnelly set up a demanding schedule which included five teams that were ranked during the 2013 season, four that were in the NCAA Tournament. There was also a full Missouri Valley Conference schedule and matches against traditional rivals.
Opening the season at home for the first time since 2010, the Cougars outplayed the Virginia Tech Hokies through regulation time in a game that featured outstanding goalkeeping on both ends of the field. Despite SIUE dominating the shooting 16–8, Tech's Brad Vorv found himself free and lofted a 25' shot past Kent Kobernus in the 97th minute, giving the Hokies the "golden goal" victory.
On a day dominated by the heat, with the game punctuated with several water breaks, SIUE and Tulsa missed numerous scoring opportunities, especially on set pieces. The Cougars scored first, with Scheipeter passing up a contested shot to hit Volesky, who faced the open net. A Cougars turnover started the action that led to the Golden Hurricane's Neil putting in a shot from a difficult angle to tie the game. Despite the two sides taking 35 shots (Tulsa leading 23–12), the game was mainly a defensive struggle, remaining tied at one goal apiece through regulation and the first extra time period. Cougar goalkeeper Kobernus made his eighth save on another shot by Neil, but when he failed to corral the ball, Barrett put the rebound into the net to give Tulsa the double-overtime "golden goal" win.
Playing a mid-week game at Memphis, the Cougars dominated the early play, with Volesky scoring off a pass from Garet Christianson. As play continued, SIUE seemed to grow complacent and careless, passing beyond intended teammates, directly at defenders, or to no one in particular. As such play continued, the Tigers gained confidence and took control in the last ten minutes of the first half. Memphis remained in control through the second half, with Khulfan scoring on a breakaway and the Tigers outshooting the Cougars 8−4 for the half. SIUE seemed to be back in control in their third extra time game in three matches. They outshot the Tigers 4–0 in the first overtime period and took the first shot of the second OT. But Ledbetter then drew his second yellow card and was ejected. Memphis, a man up, immediately applied the pressure and scored only 23 seconds after the red card, giving the Cougars their third "golden goal" loss in three games.