WHAT'S UP?: The No. 3 Western Illinois men's soccer team takes on No. 2 Denver in the Semifinal round of the 2016 Summit League Tournament on Thursday, November 10, in Denver, Colo. Kickoff between the two league foes takes place at 5 p.m. (CT), and will follow the conclusion of the first semifinal between Omaha and Eastern Illinois.
Western earned the No. 3 seed following a Summit League campaign that saw the Purple and Gold post a 3-3 league record. The Leathernecks knocked off IUPUI (2-0), Oral Roberts (4-0) and Fort Wayne (4-1) to earn a berth in the league tournament. The Leathernecks head to Denver with 27 total goals, which ranks third in The Summit League. Jacob Bevan led the league in total goals (nine) and total points (23) this season.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT: The Denver Pioneers currently rank No. 6 nationally in the NSCAA Coaches' Poll and the Top Drawer Soccer (TDS) poll. They are the defending Summit League champions and currently hold a 15-0-3 record, with a 5-0-1 mark in Summit League play. The Pioneers have wins over Fort Wayne (4-3), Eastern Illinois (1-0), IUPUI (1-0), Western Illinois (2-0) and Oral Roberts (2-0). Their lone tie was against No. 1 seeded Omaha (0-0).
Blake Elder is tied for third in The Summit League in goals with seven this season. He also ranks fifth in points (15). Goalkeeper Nick Gardner tops the league in goals against (nine) and goals-against average (0.50)
SERIES HISTORY: Western Illinois has yet to gain a win over the Pioneers in the all-time series, trailing 8-0-0. The two programs met on Oct. 25 of this season, when the Leathernecks fell 2-0 at Denver. In last season's Summit League semifinal, the No. 4 seeded Leathernecks were eliminated by the No. 1 seeded Pioneers by a score of 4-0.
LAST TIME OUT: The Purple and Gold most recently defeated Fort Wayne by a score of 4-1 behind the first career hat trick from junior forward Armel Kouassi. Goalkeeper Tim Hansen recorded five saves and an assist in the match. Both Kouassi (first career POTW honor) and Hansen (second career POTW honor) were named The Summit League Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week, respectively, for their performances. Jacob Bevan also added a goal and two assists in WIU's final regular season match.
RETURNERS: The Purple and Gold have a junior-heavy class, which includes returning starters Armel Kouassi, Amadeo Carbo, Aziz Tahir, Ben Fiddes, Alejandro Pacheco and Fernando Pacheco. On the defensive backline, the Leathernecks return sophomore Jamison Kozar and junior Jacob Bjornsen, who have started all 18 matches this season. Western Illinois' roster also includes junior Drew Whalen, the 2015 Summit League Player of the Year, who has missed the 2016 season due to injury. Jacob Bevan is the lone returning senior starter, and he has appeared in all 18 matches this year. Other returning seniors who have seen action this season include Maclean Johnson (10 matches), Ephraim Okeke (nine matches) and Nick Arnold (four matches). For the sophomore class, Adam Novak has appeared in 13 matches this season.
FRESH FACES: This season, Western Illinois has a total of 11 newcomers. Senior Daniel Collins has started in 15 of his 17 matches this season, ranking fourth on the team in total points (11) and tied with Bevan for a team-high five assists. In net, two-time Summit League Defensive Player of the Week Tim Hansen is in his freshman season, hailing from Eltville, Germany. Other newcomers who have appeared in at least nine matches this season include Antonio Aguilar (15) and Ayo Makinde (nine).
WINNING LEGACY: Dr. Eric Johnson is the Summit League's all-time winningest coach, totaling 165 wins through his 20 years at the helm at Western Illinois. In his career, he has 208 career wins. He has also earned The Summit League's 'Coach of the Year' award four times.
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