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MSOC_EIU_FP
WIU Visual Productions Center
1
Winner Western Ill. WIU (8-4-1 (3-0 Summit))
0
Eastern Ill. EIU (2-9-1 (0-2-1 Summit))
Winner
Western Ill. WIU
(8-4-1 (3-0 Summit))
1
Final
0
Eastern Ill. EIU
(2-9-1 (0-2-1 Summit))
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Western Ill. WIU 0 1 1
Eastern Ill. EIU 0 0 0

Game Recap: Men's Soccer | | WIU Athletic Communications

Men's Soccer Extends Shutout Streak to 6 at Eastern Illinois

Western Illinois men's soccer extended the nation's longest active shutout streak to six and moved to 3-0 in The Summit League on Saturday (Oct. 18) at Eastern Illinois.

CHARLESTON, Ill. - Thanks to a Mario Alvarez second-half goal, Western Illinois men's soccer extended the nation's longest active shutout streak to 540:00 minutes and moved to 3-0 in The Summit League on Saturday (Oct. 18) at Eastern Illinois. The 1-0 victory not only marks the Leathernecks' sixth consecutive shutout win, but head coach Dr. Eric Johnson's 150th win at Western Illinois. The Purple and Gold improve to 8-4-1 overall, good for the best record in The Summit League. 

"It was a solid outing for us. We had a good team performance on both sides of the ball," said head coach Dr. Eric Johnson. "Eastern Illinois brought a lot of energy in the second half, but I thought we answered with good possession and strong defending. (Mario) Alvarez was outstanding and found a goal off of a headed pass from Gochneaur."

The midafternoon match featured a combined 12 saves on 33 total shots, 9 cards (7 yellow, 2 red), but just one goal. However, one goal was all it would take for the Purple and Gold.

Western came out firing in the first half as it took senior captain Charlie Bales just 1:01 to fire off the first shot, requiring a save from Eastern's Mike Novotny. It only took another six minutes for the first card to be issued (YC at 7:42) and neither team let up from there. The Leathernecks took 11 more shots before halftime, and placed four of the attempts on goal. However both teams would head into the break with the score knotted at zero.

The second half proved to be more of the same as it took Bales just one minute and 32 seconds to fire off the first shot of the second half. However, instead of a card being issued six minutes following, it would be a goal tallied for Western at 51:02. The eventual gamewinning strike came off the foot of Mario Alvarez who followed his own shot and put away the rebound to put the Leathernecks up 1-0. Despite Austin Gochneaur's headed pass to start the play, Alvarez's footwork and eventual finish off of his own rebound would eliminate any opportunity for an assist. 

WIU would close out the game in decisive fashion as it eventually outshot the Panthers 25-8 while holding EIU to just three total shots on goal and outperforming the opposition 6-1 in corner kicks as well. 

Six total shots from Bales and five from Alvarez highlighted Western's attack while Fernando Pacheco managed four shots of his own with Austin Gochneaur tallying three. 

The Leatherneck defensive line made life easy for senior goalkeeper Yves Dietrich, as the captain was called on for just three saves. Dietrich's scoreless run now sits at 540:00 minutes which leads all NCAA Division I goalkeepers in current consecutive shutout minutes.

Coach Johnson and the team have a short turnaround before traveling to Des Moines, Iowa on Tuesday, October 21 for a midweek nonconference tilt against Drake. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. 
 



 
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