MACOMB, Ill. - The Western Illinois men's soccer team continues its 2015 season on Saturday, October 10, as the Leathernecks look for their first Summit League victory of the season. The Purple and Gold head to Omaha, Nebraska, to take on the Mavs of Omaha in League action. Kickoff between the Leatherencks (3-7-1, 0-2-0) and the Mavs (7-2-1, 1-0-1) will take place at 7 p.m. on Caniglia Field. Following Saturday's contest, Western returns home to face Drake in a midweek matchup on Tuesday, October 13. Kickoff against the Bulldogs (7-3-0, 2-0-0 Missouri Valley) will take place at 3:30 p.m. on John MacKenzie Alumni Field.
A LOOK AT THE OPPONENTS: Omaha sits in a tie for second in The Summit League standings with a 1-0-1 mark in league play after defeating Fort Wayne (3-0) and playing to a draw with IUPUI (1-1). The Mavs are one of the top offensive teams in the league, and country, as their assists per game (2.1), total assists (21), and shots per game (15.9) rank 12th, 16th, and 19th nationally in their respective categories. Mark Moulton serves as the top offensive target for Omaha, as his five goals leads the team. Moulton has also tallied three assists on the year, tied for third most on the team. Drake will play at Central Arkansas on Saturday before making its way to Macomb. James Wypych paces the Bulldog attack with a team-best three goals. Darrin MacLeod handles the netminding duties, as he has played every minute of Drake's 10 matches this year.
SERIES HISTORIES: Western Illinois and Omaha have only met three times previously, with the series even at 1-1-1. The two teams last met in the 2014 season, with the Leathernecks claiming a 1-0 decision over the Mavs. Austin Gochneaur scored his second goal of the season in the ninth minute to seal the victory. The Leathernecks trail the all-time series against the Bulldogs, 7-16-2, entering Tuesday's match. The two sides played to a 1-1 draw in Des Moines, Iowa, a year ago with Charlie Bales netting the first goal of the game in the 44th minute.
LAST TIME OUT: Freshman Bruce Corrie recorded his first career shutout and Jacob Bevan netted the game's only goal Monday (Oct. 5) as Western Illinois knocked-off in-state foe Bradley by a 1-0 final. Corrie tallied eight saves, five in the second half, to preserve the clean sheet for the Purple and Gold. The shutout was the first for Western since Yves Dietrich tallied six consecutive shutouts, the last of which coming on Oct. 18, 2014.
RETURNERS: Western Illinois returns a solid core from the 2014 team that made it to The Summit League championship game. Senior Erick Bloom, a First Team All-Summit League selection in 2014 anchors the back line while senior Austin Gochneaur, a Second Team honoree, leads the attack. Sophomore midfielders Jacob Bjornsen and Alejandro Pacheco were named to the All-Newcomer Team following the 2014 campaign.
FRESH FACES: The Leathernecks welcome nine new members to the 2015 roster. Freshmen Sam Copp, Bruce Corrie, Jamison Kozar, Nathan Bergstrom, and Josh Illana come off of standout prep careers. Sophomores Amadeo Carbo and Aziz Tahir join the program, as do juniors Nick Arnold and Johnathan Goliday.
WINNING LEGACY: Dr. Eric Johnson is the Summit League's all-time winningest coach, totaling 151 wins through his 18 years at the helm at Western Illinois. 2015 will mark Johnson's 19th season leading the Purple and Gold. He has earned the conference's 'Coach of the Year' award four times. |
