MACOMB, Ill. - The Western Illinois men's soccer team is preparing to take on Denver in the semifinal round of the 2015 Summit League Tournament on Thursday, November 12, in Denver, Colorado. Kickoff between the two league foes will take place at 8 p.m. (CT) and will follow the conclusion of the first semifinal between Omaha and Oral Roberts.
 
Western earned the No. 4 seed following a Summit League campaign which saw the Purple and Gold post a 3-3 league record. The Leathernecks knocked off Omaha (2-1), IUPUI (2-1), and Eastern Illinois (6-0) to earn a berth in the league tournament. The Leathernecks head to Denver with the highest-scoring offense in the league, tallying a league-best 28 goals and 26 assists on the season. WIU is led by forward Drew Whalen who ranks first in The Summit League in both goals (10) and points (23).
 
A LOOK AT THE OPPONENT: The defending Summit League champions posted a 5-0-1 league mark (16 pts) and finished the regular season unbeaten (13-0-3). Denver is ranked No. 8 nationally in the latest NSCAA Division I men's poll, released on November 10. The Pioneers' offensive attack is led by Andre Shinyashiki and Karsten Hanlin, who lead the team with four and five goals, respectively. Reagan Dunk leads the league with eight assists. Dan Jackson has been a powerhouse in net for the Pioneers all season with a league-leading .821 save percentage and a goals-against average of .41. The senior has compiled 32 saves and has only allowed seven goals. During the regular season, Denver recorded 10 shutouts, half of which came in their last five matches.
 
SERIES HISTORY: Western Illinois and Denver will be meeting for the second time this season on Thursday. The Leathernecks are looking for their first win in program history over the Pioneers, as Denver owns a perfect 6-0 record over Western. The Purple and Gold opened Summit League play against Denver earlier this season on September 26 where they fell by a score of 2-0. This will be the third-straight year in which Western Illinois and Denver have met in The Summit League Tournament, with Denver defeating WIU in the last two championship finals. Last season, the two teams met in the final regular season matchup, with the Pioneers claiming a 1-0, double overtime, victory. Eight days later, the two teams met once again in the championship game of the 2014 Summit League Tournament. The Pioneers scored two goals in a five minute span in the first half en route to a 3-1 victory.
 
LAST TIME OUT: The Leathernecks are fresh off a 2-1 win over IUPUI on Sunday, November 1. Prior to the match, Kyle Walton, Tyler Chavez, and Erick Bloom, Ken Tryggestad, Austin Gochneaur and Sammuel Worsley were recognized as the donned the Purple and Gold and took to John Mackenzie Alumni Field on last time as a part of Senior Day. Diego Lopez put Western on the board in the 17^th minute off of an assist from Amadeo Carbo who found the ball at his foot at midfield and fed a through ball to Lopez for his second goal of the season. Western extended its lead to 2-0 in the 24^th minute as Drew Whalen netted his team-leading 10^th goal of the season. IUPUI answered with a goal in the 39^th minute. Western turned its efforts to the defensive end during the second half and held on for its sixth victory of the season.
 
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 152 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.