MACOMB, Ill. - After opening conference play 1-1 last weekend, the Fighting Leathernecks (5-6-1, 1-1-0) head west for a non-conference match against Drake on Wednesday (Oct. 9) and a Summit League tilt versus #16 Denver on Friday night.

Western Illinois began Summit League play with a 1-0 loss to South Dakota State on Oct. 4. The Leathernecks then reversed the scoreline, defeating North Dakota State 1-0 on Oct. 6. Sarah Hall scored her second goal of the year in the 10th minute of WIU's victory over NDSU. The Leathernecks are coming off of their most complete performance of the year according to head coach Ted Flogaites, and look to carry that form against Drake and Denver.

A LOOK AT THE BULLDOGS: The Bulldogs enter Wednesday's contest 2-7-3... The Bulldogs have faced SIU-Edwardsville (4-1, L), Green Bay (1-1, T), South Dakota State (1-0, L), South Dakota (3-2, W), and Iowa State (1-1, T)... Paige Dusek leads the Bulldog attack with five goals and two assists (12 points) through 12 matches... Rebecca Rodgers (4 goals) and Ashlie Stokes (3 goals and 2 assists) have eight points on the year... In goal for the Bulldogs, Andrea Swanson has played every minute... She has 56 saves and one shutout on the year while allowing 1.72 goals per game... Drake has scored 15 times in 2013, but has conceded 22... The Bulldogs are led by 6th year head coach Lyndsey Horner.

SERIES HISTORY: Western Illinois and Drake have met seven times since 2002, the first meeting between the two schools... Drake currently leads the series, 4-3, but Western has won the previous two matches... The last time these two schools met, the Leathernecks won 1-0 in 2012 at John MacKenzie Alumni Field.

A LOOK AT THE PIONEERS: With no mid-week matches, the Pioneers will bring a 10-1-1 record into Friday's match, while ranked 16th in the nation according to the NSCAA poll... The Pioneers are led offensively by Kristen Hamilton... The senior, placed on the Mac Hermann Watch List, has scored eight goals while assisting on six more (22 points)... Nicholette Digiacomo is second on the the team in goals (5), assists (3), and points (15)... Cassidy Rey has earned the majority of the minutes in goal for Denver... Rey has started nine matches and has recorded four shutouts while limiting opponents to 0.62 goals per game... Denver is led by 22nd year coach Jeff Hooker.

SERIES HISTORY: Friday will be the first meeting between the two schools.

LAST TIME OUT: Western Illinois lost on Friday to South Dakota State before defeating North Dakota State on Sunday... Sarah Hall scored her second goal of the year... It was the first victory over North Dakota State since 2008.

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS: When Western Illinois and Denver meet on Friday, it will be the second time in program history the Leathernecks have faced a nationally-ranked team... The only other meeting came in 2011 when Western Illinois lost to then #15 UW-Milwaukee, 4-0. From that 2011 team, 10 Leathernecks who played in that match remain... Milwaukee scored twice from the penalty spot in the match.    

SPREADING THE WEALTH: Eight different Leathernecks have scored this season, only South Dakota and South Dakota State have more individual goal-scorers, while Denver also has eight... Freshman Tyra Markey senior Kristin Becker and junior Sarah Hall are the only three players on the team to score multiple goals in 2013... Four other seniors have also found the back of the net for Western Illinois... The Leathernecks rank sixth in goals scored (11) in The Summit League.

BIG TEN, BIG WIN: The Leathernecks' victory over Northwestern earlier this season was the first over a Big Ten school in program history.

SENIOR LEADERSHIP: It was two seniors who provided the scoring in the Leathernecks' 2-1 win over Northwestern on August 23... Jordan Walgren scored a late goal to level the match before Kristin Becker scored directly off a corner in the second overtime.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Laura Atkinson was named The Summit League 'Defensive Player of the Week' for the sixth time in her career after her performance against Northwestern... The goalkeeper made nine saves against the Wildcats.

LEAGUE ROUND-UP: League leaders Denver travel to Fort Wayne on Saturday... The Coyotes of South Dakota travel to Omaha... Following Friday's match against Western, South Dakota State head to Indianapolis  for a Sunday match against IUPUI... North Dakota State faces IUPUI on Friday before Sunday's match against Western Illinois.  

DAVIS IS CLASS: Senior Amber Davis has been named one of 30 semifinalists for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award... The award is given to the student-athlete that best exemplifies the four C's: Character, Community, Classroom and Competition .. The finalists for the award will be announced in October before the winner is announced at the Women's College Cup in December... If Davis is named a finalist, there will be a public voting portion... Stay tuned to goleathernecks.com for further information... Davis currently has one goal and one assist this season while anchoring a Leatherneck defense that has recorded two shutouts.

PRESEASON HONORS: Western Illinois had five members of the 2013 squad earn preseason All-League honors from College Sports Madness... Skyler Jessop, Amber Davis and Laura Atkinson were named First Team All-Conference while Sarah Hall and Sloane Levin were named to the Second Team... Atkinson was also named 'Goalkeeper of the Year'... In 2012, Davis and Atkinson were each named First Team All-Summit League with Atkinson earning the league's 'Goalkeeper of the Year' award as well.

RETURNERS: Leatherneck women's soccer returns 21 players from the 2012 squad that finished with 13 wins, second most in program history... Among the returning letter-winners are 2012 Summit League 'Goalkeeper of the Year' Laura Atkinson, Summit League All-Tournament Team selection Jordan Spaciel and First Team All-Summit League selection Amber Davis.

CAPTAINS: Four members of the Leatherneck women's soccer senior class, Sloane Levin, Amber Davis, Amy Bennett and Jordan Spaciel will captain the squad this season.

AT THE HELM: Ted Flogaites became the fifth Western Illinois women's soccer head coach in July 2012... He joined the Leatherneck family following a five year stint at Hastings College where he amassed a record of 76-22-9 for a .745 winning percentage... In his first year with the Leathernecks, he led the squad to a 13-win season, two short of tying the program record... Flogaites graduated from UC Santa Barbara in 1999 and was a member of the Gaucho men's soccer team.

PRESEASON POLL: The Leathernecks were picked to finish third in the 2013 Summit League Women's Soccer Preseason Poll... Western Illinois tallied 34 points... Denver was picked to finish first with 49 points and Fort Wayne was projected second with 39 points.