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Western Illinois University Athletics

MSOC_1101_FP
WIU Visual Productions Center
2
Winner Oral Roberts ORU (6-7-2 (2-2-1))
0
Western Ill. WIU (8-5-3 (3-1-1))
Winner
Oral Roberts ORU
(6-7-2 (2-2-1))
2
Final
0
Western Ill. WIU
(8-5-3 (3-1-1))
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Oral Roberts ORU 2 0 2
Western Ill. WIU 0 0 0

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

Men's Soccer Falls, 2-0, in Final Home Match Against Oral Roberts

On Saturday (Nov. 1) Western Illinois suffered its first league loss on senior day in Macomb, Ill.

MACOMB, Ill. - On senior day at Western Illinois Torrence Brown, Zachary Walsh, Oscar Ortega, Mario Alvarez, Kevin Whalen, Charlie Bales, and Yves Dietrich were greeted with cheers and applause before their final home game at John MacKenzie Alumni Field. However, the emotional moment proved to be the lone bright spot for the Leathernecks as they were defeated 2-0 by Oral Roberts, marking their first loss in Summit League play this season.

The loss moves WIU to 3-1-1 in The Summit League and 8-5-3 overall, still ranked first in the league standings.

"We didn't play well enough in the first half," said head coach Dr. Eric Johnson. "We gave up a soft goal, pretty much an own goal, early and that got our heads down. A bad touch for the second goal and that's two soft ones that we shouldn't give up. We just have to get back to who we are and what we do well. We know what our identity is, but we lost that a little bit today."

In a game of two halves, Saturday's match was front-loaded with action and excitement. Just three minutes into the game, Fernando Pacheco nearly put the Leathernecks up early with an opportunity in the penalty area, but the Oral Roberts defense swooped in to save the goal. The next 12 minutes were all WIU as the Purple and Gold out possessed, out passed, and outshout the Golden Eagles. 

However, in the 14th minute, the intensity went up as Maclean Johnson was booked with a yellow card for an attack from behind. Soon after, in the 15th minute, Oral Roberts received a yellow card of its own, and the tone was set. After 20 more minutes of physical play with few scoring opportunities the 33rd minute brought two yellow cards for a physical exchange between Oscar Ortega and Javier Reyes, as well as two red card ejections soon after, for a scuffle between Diego Lopez and Gerardo Salas along the sideline.

With both teams scrambling to find a rhythm, Oral Roberts would take advantage of the situation and claim a goal on a Traik Salkicic cross that deflected off of a Western defender into the net. Another ORU yellow card in the 37th minute brought the booking count to seven before the Golden Eagles extended their lead at the 42:47 mark on a counter attack goal from Edgardo Mira. The half would close with Western trailing 2-0.

The second period played out in uneventful fashion with just three total bookings to the first half's seven and no goals from either team as WIU was limited to just four shots, despite possessing the ball in its offensive half a majority of the half. 

The clock would strike 90' with the Purple and Gold still trailing 2-0, marking their first Summit League loss of the season and ending an eight game unbeaten streak, dating back to September 19's loss at Valparaiso. 

In the loss, junior defender Erick Bloom would notch a season-high three shots (two on goal) as he led the Western Illinois attack while the Purple and Gold defense limited Oral Roberts to just three shots on goal in addition to the two tallies.

The Fighting Leathernecks now turn their attention to the regular season finale highlighted in a Summit League showdown at Denver on Saturday, November 8. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. (CT) as Western looks to claim the Summit League regular-season title. 
 
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