Father McGivney Catholic's Spencer Sundberg Signs With Illinois-Springfield For Men's Soccer, Plus Two Other Signings

GLEN CARBON - Spencer Sundberg, a defensive midfielder for Father McGivney Catholic's boys soccer team, signed a letter of intent to play at the University of Illinois-Springfield next season in a ceremony held inside the Griffins Nest student lounge on April 30, 2025.

Sundberg contributed four goals and two assists to the Griffins this past fall in helping McGivney to a 19-5-2 record and advance to the IHSA Class 1A Murphysboro sectional final, where the Griffins lost to Columbia 3-2 at Gene Baker Field in Granite City.

Sundberg is a Byron, Carlson, Petri & Kalb Male Athlete of the Month for the Griffins.

When asked why he chose UIS to play soccer, Sundberg had some help from former Prairie State player and current Griffins assistant coach Brett Schubert.

"Actually, my assistant coach went there," Sundberg said, "and he introduced me to it. I got hooked up with the coach (Graham Shaw). I reached out to him, he said he had a spot, and I went up there, toured, and practiced with the team, and I loved it. I loved the campus, and the school, a great school, and I loved it. The soccer team was amazing, too."

Sundberg plans on majoring in biology at UIS, and also considered Missouri-St. Louis before deciding on UIS. He'll bring much to the table for the Prairie Stars.

"I think I'll bring a hard worker that contributes a lot defensively," Sundberg said, "that really focuses, works hard, and encourages everybody."

Schubert, who was sitting in for head coach Matt McVicar, who was out of town on signing day, is very proud of Sundberg and his signing with UIS.

"It's a proud day for our program," Schubert said. "It's very rewarding to see kids go on from our program, and join such a prestigious club such as University of Illinois-Springfield. It's my alma mater, it's where I graduated from, I was a captain there in 2012, and to see Spencer going to a place I'm familiar with was very rewarding for me, as a coach, to know that his ability can translate into a Division-II program such as the University of Illinois-Springfield."

Schubert also knows that Sundberg will bring much to the program and the team.

"When you're looking at Spencer Sundberg, you're looking at a player who is a fine-tuned player," Schubert said. "He was essential to our spine. You look at our defensive structure, and Spencer was the spine of being the center back. His height provided the aerial ability to bring stability to corner kicks and set pieces. You're also looking at a guy you don't have to worry about showing up every day.

"He's a player that is excited to get to work, he's someone that brings a lot of leadership as a senior, going to be a freshman at the University of Illinois-Springfield. So, definitely, they're getting a fine-tuned player who is going to make an impact as soon as he gets the jersey on. I'm excited to see what he does in his first year, and see him get to work as soon as possible."

Sundberg's favorite memory of playing for McGivney is a 1-0 win over Triad early in the season, a win that helped the Griffins springboard their way into a successful season, going unbeaten in their first six matches.

"Probably beating Triad last season," Sundberg said. "it was a really close game."

Sundberg is raring to get started at UIS and help contribute to the Prairie Stars.

"Yes, I'm super excited about everything," Sundberg said. "It should be a lot of fun."

Other McGivney Catholic Signings

In addition to the signing ceremony of Apr. 30, McGivney athletic director Jeff Oller also announced two more signings on Friday: Kai Gaither signed to play men's soccer at McKendree University in Lebanon, and Dane Keevin, a pitcher on the Griffins' baseball team, signed to play at Monmouth College.

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