MACOMB, Ill. – The Western Illinois men's soccer team will look to avenge its loss in last year's NCAA College Cup when it travels to Drake for a 7 p.m. match on Tuesday, Sept. 28.
The Fighting Leathernecks (2-4-2) are coming off a 2-1 loss to IUPUI in their Summit League opener on Saturday. Western last faced Drake in the first round of the 2009 NCAA College Cup, falling by a 2-1 decision in Des Moines. The Leathernecks also dropped a 1-0 decision to the Bulldogs during the 2009 regular season.
The Bulldogs (3-5-0) enter Tuesday's matchup on a two-match losing streak after falling to Saint Louis and DePaul last week. Drake began the season ranked as the No. 14 team in the nation after reaching the 2009 NCAA College Cup quarterfinals. The Bulldogs have picked up wins against Michigan, UMKC and Loyola this season.
Series: Western trails 7-13-0
Last: Nov. 19, 2009: Drake won 2-1 in Des Moines
(NCAA College Cup First Round)
Head
Coach: Sean Holmes
Alma
Mater, Year: Carleton, '88
School
record: 106-107-24 (13th season)
Career
record: 184-133-26 (18th season)
Coverage
Live Stats • www.godrakebulldogs.com
Revenge Factor
The
Leathernecks will be looking for payback after dropping two matches to Drake last season, including a 2-1 loss in the first round of the 2009 NCAA College Cup.
Western's last victory over the Bulldogs came in a 2-1 victory in Des Moines during the 2008 season when Drake was ranked as the No. 26 team in the nation. The Bulldogs were unranked in the most recent NSCAA poll but did earn the No. 5 spot in the Midwest Region.
Spreading the Wealth
Western Illinois has seen six different players score a goal so far this season. The Leathernecks have tallied seven goals on the year with two coming off the foot of Husref Jupic.
The Leathernecks have also picked up six assists as a team this year. Two of the assists have come from Daniel Lewis while the others have come from four separate players.
Defending the Crown
Western will return to Summit League action against Centenary in its next outing on Oct. 2. The Leathernecks will
look to defend their 2009 Summit League Tournament Title, their fourth title since 2004.
No
other team in league history has won four league tournaments
since The Summit League began hosting a conference tournament in 1994.
