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Rachael Keating

Leatherneck Men's Soccer Enters Final Weekend of Regular Season

| By: WIU Athletic Communications

The team must win on Saturday (Oct. 6) to keep their hopes of a postseason berth alive.

Who | Western Illinois (2-12-1, 2-3) at Omaha (5-9-1, 3-2)
When | Saturday (Nov. 6), 3 p.m.
Where | Caniglia Field – Omaha, Neb.    
Social media | Instagram + Twitter + Facebook + #TRADITIONofTOUGH

Matchup history: The Leathernecks and Mavericks have played 12 times in program history, with Western holding a 2-9-1 all-time record. Their last matchup came during the spring season in 2021, the second game of a weekend split on the road in Omaha. The Mavericks won both games, and Luke Duball scored during the second match of the weekend.

Players to watch: Daisuke Otsuka and Luke Duball will be playing their final regular season games as Leathernecks, and were honored last weekend as they played one final regular season game in Macomb.
 
"Both have logged major minutes this season and have been really good leaders during a very difficult season due to season ending injuries to key players," director of soccer Dr. Eric Johnson said. "Both of these guys will be a big part of our effort to play in the post season."
 
Otsuka has been a consistent presence in the Western Illinois midfield since he joined the program ahead of the 2019 season. At the completion of his first year, he was named to the Summit League All-Newcomer Team and was recognized as a member of the 2019 Summit League Championship All-Tournament team after scoring the tying and go-ahead goals in the team's semifinal matchup against Omaha. He's played over 1,200 minutes this season for the Leathernecks, tying for the team lead in both appearances and starts while providing a goal and an assist.
 
In his fifth season as a Leatherneck, Luke Duball was named a captain and proved to be a pivotal member of the team, playing several different positions throughout the year. The midfielder from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has made 72 appearances (69 starts) across the last five seasons, scoring three goals and adding three assists – including the game tying goal in an eventual victory against St. Thomas on Oct. 16, 2021.
 
"Luke has been our captain this year and as usual he has played a number of positions for us due to his tactical awareness and willingness to do whatever's best for the team," Johnson said. "Likewise, Daisuke has done the same moving back to the midfield from forward this season to strengthen our defense. He is a leader by example and his work rate and playing intensity is top shelf."

Scouting the opponent: Heading into the final weekend of regular season play, Omaha is 5-9-1 and coming off a 1-0 home loss to Campbell. Their last Summit League game, played against Denver on Oct. 30, ended as a 2-0 Maverick victory on the road. Their attack has been very balanced this season, with nine different players contributing goals and only two players scoring more than one.

Summit League Play: Saturday is the final match of Western's regular season and the Leathernecks still have a chance at making the postseason. The top four teams will play in next week's Summit League Men's Soccer Championship, and Western Illinois currently sits in fifth place at 2-3. They are currently behind Kansas City (2-2-1), and need to win on Saturday if they hope to play in the postseason.
 
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