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Western Illinois University Athletics

Armel Kouassi
1
Fort Wayne FW (9-9 (2-4))
4
Winner Western Illinois WIUM (8-9-1 (3-3))
Fort Wayne FW
(9-9 (2-4))
1
Final
4
Western Illinois WIUM
(8-9-1 (3-3))
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Fort Wayne FW 0 1 1
Western Illinois WIUM 2 2 4

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

Leathernecks Pick Up Senior Day Win On Kouassi's Hat Trick

WIU closed out the 2016 regular season with a 4-1 win over Fort Wayne.

PHOTOS

MACOMB, Ill.- A first career hat trick by junior Armel Kouassi propelled the Fighting Leatherneck men's soccer program to a Senior Day victory over Fort Wayne Saturday (Nov. 5).

Western Illinois closes out the regular season with a 3-3 Summit League record and an 8-9-1 overall record. For the Leathernecks, seniors Jacob Bevan, Maclean Johnson, Daniel Collins, Nick Arnold and Ephraim Okeke all played their final match at John MacKenzie Alumni Field.

"It was a big day for our program. It was a pressure game and a great response from our entire team," said Director of Soccer Dr. Eric Johnson. "Armel and Bevan were fantastic going forward and we had a solid team defensive effort. It was a great way to end the regular season on our field and for our seniors." 

Kouassi's first two goals came at the 23rd and 29th minute of the match. The first goal came off a Tim Hansen punt across the field, in which Kouassi was able to head the ball over the keeper into an empty net. The junior forward was able to strike again courtesy of Jacob Bevan, who dribbled down the right side of the field and crossed the ball into the box, finding Kouassi in stride for a goal.

WIU held a two-goal lead at the half.

Both the Leathernecks and Mastodons struggled to find the back of the net within the first 20 minutes of the second until Ben Fiddes curled a pass to Bevan, who dribbled inside the box past the keeper for a 3-0 Leatherneck lead in the 60th minute.

Seven minutes later, the Mastodons scored their first and only goal of the match off a free kick by Andy O'Donoghue, who found his fellow teammate Alex Joneson inside the box.

Following the Fort Wayne goal, the Leathernecks did not waste any time to respond, as Kouassi buried his third goal of the match off an assist from Bevan inside the box in the 69th minute.

Kouassi joins Bevan as the second Leatherneck to record a hat trick this season, and is the 14th Leatherneck in program history to record at least three goals in a match. His three goals is also the 17th time a Western Illinois student-athlete recorded three or more goals in a match.

The 2016 season also marks the second straight year that two different players recorded a hat trick in a single season (Jacob Bevan/Armel Kouassi (2016), Drew Whalen/Jacob Bevan (2015).

Bevan wraps up the 2016 regular season 23 points capped off with a goal and season-high two assists against Fort Wayne. This was also the first time this season that he recorded a goal and an assist in the same match (the third time in his career).

In net, Tim Hansen totaled five saves with his first career assist. This match marked the fourth time Hansen has recorded five or more saves in a match. He now has 51 total saves this season.

Western Illinois will now shift its focus to a potential invite to The Summit League Championship. There will be more postseason information to come on goleathernecks.com following the conclusion of the remaining Summit League matches.
   
 
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