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Sarah Ritter

WIU Hits the Road to Face Denver, Omaha

| By: WIU Athletic Communications

Leatherneck women's soccer plays at home next Sunday (Oct. 23).

Who | Western Illinois (3-8-3, 1-5 SL) @ Denver (7-4-3, 4-0-1 SL) / Omaha (2-8-4, 1-2-2 SL)
When | Friday, Oct. 14 – 7 p.m. CT / Sunday, Oct. 16 – 1 p.m. CT 
Where | University of Denver Soccer Stadium - Denver, Colo. / Caniglia Field – Omaha, Neb.
Social media | Instagram + Twitter + Facebook 

Previous matchup: Dating back to the first matchup on Oct. 11, 2013, Western has struggled against the Pioneers, currently holding an 0-10 record. At home against Denver last season, WIU fell 2-0 in a game that saw Angie Knies start and play all 90 minutes with goalkeeper Isabel Navas Rodriguez making six saves. Western has fared better against Omaha, holding a 5-8-1 record in the all-time series; the first matchup was on Oct. 20, 2011. Last season, Western fell 2-1 at home, with Emmy Ellington starting and leading the team in shots on goal.

Scouting the opponents: The University of Denver is 7-4-3 on the season and currently stands alone at the top of the Summit League standings with an unbeaten conference record. Winners of three out of the last four games, the Pioneer attack is led by Camryn MacMillan, who has scored a team-leading five goals this season, while Sami Feller is up to four goals and five assists. Omaha sits just above Western in the standings with a 1-2-2 record in league play, holding a 2-8-4 record overall. The Mavericks played one game last weekend, falling 2-0 on the road in Denver, and will face St. Thomas on Friday before Sunday's game against the Leathernecks.

So far this season: Western is 3-8-3 and has struggled in recent games, having lost four of the last five games played. Forward Amy Andrews has continued to fuel the Western Illinois offense this season, as the graduate student is currently tied for the league-lead in goals with eight. The Leatherneck defense has stepped up this season and nearly doubled the number of shutouts recorded, keeping five clean sheets this season after having three last year, while several freshmen have played key roles.

Players to watch: Playing in a new spot on the field is never easy, but Angie Knies made a seamless transition further up into the Leatherneck attack over the weekend. After being pushed further up in the formation, Knies recorded an assist against USD on Friday and scored her first goal of the season against SDSU on Sunday, earning the praise of head coach Josee Primeau.
 
"Angie did really well in her new role," Primeau said after Friday's game. "I think that it was really different for her but it just creates a lot more freedom for her to just have a little bit of a bigger impact for us offensively."
 
Coach Primeau also noted the play of Emily Martins as being positive, with the freshman defender earning her first career starts over the weekend.
 
"I think turned up today and did really well for the majority of the game, especially having not played a full game back there yet," Primeau said after Friday's contest. "She's only played in smaller shifts but to come out today and do the job she did was really good."
 
Malerie Rohweder's strong senior season continues to be a storyline for the Leathernecks this season, as Rohwder has been a pillar in the defensive midfield for Western Illinois. Having played a total of 67 minutes across the previous three seasons, she has appeared in 12 out of the team's 14 games thus far, making 11 starts and playing a total of 777 minutes.

What's next: Western is back in action next Sunday (Oct. 23), hosting St. Thomas in the team's final regular season game. Kickoff at John MacKenzie Alumni Field is scheduled for 1 p.m.
 
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