A look at the key talking points, team news and stats ahead of Saturday's Region 4 encounter between the Rock Valley Golden Eagles and Black Hawk Braves. 

Your Golden Eagles (5-2-0, 4-1-0) host the Black Hawk Braves (3-1-0, 1-1-0) Tuesday afternoon in Rockford, Illinois, in a Region 4 clash. In the teams' only other meeting, Rock Valley defeated the Braves 4-1 in Moline, Illinois in September 2022. 

Rock Valley won Saturday 4-0 at Oakton to get back into the win column, and did so in dominating fashion as head coach Tim Romanello became the program's all-time winningest manager with the win. The victory was the team's fourth road victory, equaling their 2022 total when the Golden Eagles went 4-4-0 in all away competitions. The Golden Eagles managed 68.6% of the possession and connected on 387 passes, 309 more than the Owls. 

The Golden Eagles will need to get back to their winning ways at home if they intend to make a playoff push and secure postseason separation. Their 1-0 loss to Madison last Tuesday snapped a 12-match unbeaten stretch at home, dating all the way back to their 3-2 semifinal loss to Illinois Valley in 2021. Tuesday's match against the Braves kicks off a stretch of four straight home matches against region opponents with a combined record of 14-5-2, arguably the toughest stretch of their 2023 schedule. 

Black Hawk travels to Rockford after splitting two region matches last week. The Braves lost at Kishwaukee (Sep. 6) 3-1, then needed a 78th minute game-winner from Liam Regan to down Bryant & Stratton 1-0 on Sunday (Sep. 10) in Wisconsin. 

Team News 

• Three different goal scorers paced Rock Valley Saturday in Des Plaines. Landon Weishaar, Alfredo Jimenez and Jovanni Ramos all converted goals in the win. 

• Rock Valley has scored at least three goals in three of their four last matches. 

• Daniel Angeles-Medrano recorded the team's first shutout in 2023 against Oakton. 

Last Five Meetings 

7 September 2022: Black Hawk 1-4 Rock Valley 

Key Facts 

• Pay attention to the final 15 minutes of the first half. The Golden Eagles have been at their best in 2023 from minutes 30-45.  

• The September trend continues. After a slow goal outburst to finish out August, the Rock Valley attack has scored four goals in two of their last four matches. 

• Rock Valley once again received votes in the NJCAA National poll for the fourth consecutive week. 

Game Day Information 

Who Rock Valley College (5-2-0, 4-1-0 Region 4) vs Black Hawk (3-1-0, 1-1-0 Region 4) 

When Tuesday, September 12, 2023 | 5:00 p.m. cst 

Venue RVC Fields | Rockford, Illinois | natural grass 

Live Stats NJCAA Website 

LiveStream Just A Game Live 

Series History Rock Valley leads the all-time series 1-0-0 

Weather 67o Mostly Sunny | SW 5 mph | 5% rain