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Western Illinois University Athletics

Ryan DeBois, Cameron Territo
1
Eastern Ill. EIU (4-7-2, 0-2-2)
2
Winner Western Ill. WIU (4-11-0, 3-1-0)
Eastern Ill. EIU
(4-7-2, 0-2-2)
1
Final
2
Western Ill. WIU
(4-11-0, 3-1-0)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Eastern Ill. EIU 0 1 1
Western Ill. WIU 1 1 2

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

Second-Half Rain Doesn’t Stop Leatherneck Postseason Clinch

On Senior Day, the Western Illinois men’s soccer team earned a bid to The Summit League Tournament.

MACOMB, Ill. - "I think we grew closer as a team. Honestly you know, most teams that start a season 0-11 like that, they just fall apart, but honestly we grew stronger," Tim Trilk said after the Western Illinois men's soccer team battled to a 2-1 victory over Eastern Illinois on Saturday (Oct. 26) and clinched a spot in The Summit League Tournament. 

For Thomas Hollis, Christian Junna, Gimale Essacu, and Trilk, Senior Day will be one that goes down in the books forever. 

The victory clinched a spot into postseason play for the 18th time in program history after Western missed out on the postseason last year for the first time since 2010. 

"Great win for us today," Director of Soccer Dr. Eric Johnson said. "Two good goals and then a spirited effort by the team when Eastern made their push to equalize after getting a goal back to make it 2-1. Hard fought win."

Coming off his first career Player of the Week honor, Ryan DeBois (14') once again ignited the Western attack for his team-leading sixth goal. After an EIU turnover, the junior secured the ball and in full stride, fired a shot to the bottom left corner while being tugged from behind for the 1-0 lead. The forward has now scored in every Summit League match and the last five games in a row. 

Generating the Leatherneck attack, Essacu returned from the Papua New Guinea U-23 National Team and the Olympic Qualifiers just in time to earn his second assist in a row. Midway through the rainy second-half, Caleb Ragland found Essacu in the box off a corner who flicked it quickly to the feet of Daisuke Otsuka for the eventual game-winning goal in the 67th minute. 

Trilk has had one memorable final bow as he has scattered his name across the record book. He stopped a late Eastern shot in the first half to keep them off the board and maintain the 1-0 lead. Between the pipes, Trilk finished with three saves and earned his 12th career victory to tie Chris Frentz (2002-05) for ninth all-time. 

After four straight wins and three of them coming in Summit League play, the Leathernecks take a break from League action and travel to IUPUI on Wednesday (Oct. 30) for a 6 p.m. kick-off. 


 
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