MACOMB, Ill. - The Western Illinois men's soccer team heads to Madison, Wis. on Tuesday to take on Wisconsin, ranked 18th nationally by TopDrawerSoccer.com, at 7 p.m.
The two teams played to a 0-0 draw last fall at the UIC Soccer Classic and again in an exhibition match during the 2013 spring season.
WIU will look to gain momentum for the final leg of the season, with three Summit League contests remaining.
BREAKDOWN:
WHO: Western Illinois at Wisconsin
WHEN: Tuesday, October 15 at 7 p.m.
WHERE: McClimon Complex
LIVE STATS: Click HERE
LIVE VIDEO (subscription required): Click HERE
MATCH NOTES:
A LOOK AT THE BADGERS: Wisconsin enters the match with an 8-2-1 record, including a 1-1 mark in the Big Ten...The Badgers are ranked 18th in the TopDrawerSoccer.com national poll...In the NSCAA poll (released Oct. 8), Wisconsin was unranked nationally and ranked ninth in the Great Lakes region...In the last week, Wisconsin defeated Drake 3-2 and beat the defending national champion Indiana 4-3...The Badgers are a perfect 5-0 at home this season...Nick Janus leads the team in goals (6) and points (14)...Drew Conner has a team-high six assists...Other players who have found the back of the net multiple times include Jacob Brindle (4 goals), AJ Cochran (3), Tomislav Zadro (2), Paul Yonga (2) and Toni Ramadina (2)...In goal, Casey Beyers has posted two shutouts, a 1.45 goals against average and .644 save percentage.
SERIES HISTORY: The Badgers lead the all-time series, 7-4-2...The teams played to a 0-0 draw in the UIC Soccer Classic last season, with Yves Dietrich making four saves in the shutout...Wisconsin took one more shot (13-12), and the teams were even in shots on goal (4-4)...Wisconsin won the two previous matchups, in 2011 and 2009, by 1-0 scores each time.
THIS DATE IN HISTORY (Oct. 15): In 2011, the Leathernecks pulled off a 1-0 overtime win against IUPUI, as current assistant coach Andy Ryan posted a seven-save shutout...Western Illinois also won 3-2 in overtime at UMKC in 2005, 3-2 at Eastern Illinois in 1995, and 2-0 over DePaul in 1989...In 1983, the program earned its fifth win in Division I by defeating Creighton on the road, 2-1.
LAST TIME OUT: Western Illinois struggled in a 2-0 loss at Oral Roberts on Saturday...The Leathernecks conceded both goals in the first nine minutes and failed to get on the scoreboard...WIU held the advantage in shots, 15-10.
RECORD BOOK MOVEMENT: By recording his fifth career shutout at Jacksonville, Yves Dietrich moved into a three-way tie for ninth in program history...With a total of 141 career saves, he sits 10th in saves per game (4.39), fifth in goals against average (1.40), and 10th in save percentage (.751)...Since individual shot on goal statistics started being recorded in 2002, Husref Jupic ranks fourth in the program with 52, and he just entered the top 10 in shots, with 101 and shots per game, with 1.71.
ATOP THE SUMMIT: Several Leathernecks rank at the top of the conference in statistical categories...Husref Jupic is tied for the lead in goals (5) and is second in points (12)...Yves Dietrich is first in saves (55) and third in save percentage (.714)...Diego Gonzalez is tied for second with four assists...Mario Alvarez is tied for third with 24 shots.
NATIONAL RANKINGS: Keeper Yves Dietrich ranks 23rd in the country in saves (55) and 50th in saves per game (4.58)...Husref Jupic ranks 63rd in goals (5), 71st in goals per game (0.45), 85th in points per game (1.09) and 89th in total points (12)...Diego Gonzalez sits 72nd nationally with four assists.
OFFENSIVE OUTBURST: Western Illinois tallied four goals in the 4-2 win over Bradley for the first time since a 4-0 shutout over DePaul on Sept. 17, 2011...After also beating EIU 3-1, the Leathernecks scored at least seven goals in a two-game span for the first time since 2006, when they beat Fort Wayne and Valparaiso, both by 5-1 scores.
SWEET HOMECOMINGS: In the return to his hometown of Peoria, Ill., Drew Whalen scored his first two collegiate goals in a 4-2 upset over Bradley...The game was played just three miles from his high school, Peoria-Notre Dame, where he was an All-American...Drew Edmond scored his first goal of the season at Omaha, just an hour from his hometown of Lincoln.
WEEKLY HONORS: A pair of seniors received weekly honors on Oct. 7: Husref Jupic was named the Summit League 'Offensive Player of the Week' for the second time in his career, while Oscar Ortega was named the Western Illinois Papa John's Scholar-Athlete of the Week.
TOUGH COMPETITION: Five of the first six Western Illinois opponents were unbeaten heading into the match against the Leathernecks...Western Illinois' first seven opponents all had one loss or less heading into the game against WIU.
CLOSE DEFEATS: Since the start of the 2012 season, 11 of the Leathernecks' 17 losses have come by just one goal, including six of the eight defeats this season.
GREAT DEBUT: Freshman Diego Lopez had a stellar debut weekend in Purple & Gold...He scored both Western Illinois goals, including his first collegiate goal at North Florida, and his first career game-winning goal at Jacksonville...His efforts earned him The Summit League's first 'Offensive Player of the Week' award of the season.
PRESEASON ALL-SUMMIT LEAGUE: Charlie Bales, Drew Edmond and Austin Gochneaur were named to the College Sports Madness Preseason All-League Team...Bales earned a First Team nod, while Edmond and Gochneaur received Second Team honors.
WINNING LEGACY: Dr. Eric Johnson is the Summit League's all-time winningest coach, totaling 139 wins through his time at the helm at Western Illinois...He has earned the conference's 'Coach of the Year' award four times.
Projected Starters:
