Skip To Main Content

Upcoming Events and Recent Results

Western Illinois University Athletics

team
Matthew Brooks

Leathernecks to Host Coyotes, Jackrabbits

| By: WIU Athletic Communications

WIU women's soccer plays Friday and Sunday at home.

Who | Western Illinois (3-6-3, 1-3) vs South Dakota (1-6-5, 0-1-2) / South Dakota State (7-0-5, 1-0-2)
When | Friday (Oct. 7) – 3 p.m. / Sunday (Oct. 9) – 1 p.m.
Where | John MacKenzie Alumni Field – Macomb, Ill.
Social media | Instagram + Twitter + Facebook 

Previous matchup: Western Illinois is 4-9-1 in the all-time series against the Coyotes of South Dakota, earning a hard-fought victory last season. That matchup, played on Oct. 3 in Vermillion, ended 2-1 in favor of the Leathernecks, with Amy Andrews scoring twice, including a 31st minute goal that came off an Emmy Ellington assist. Western has struggled against South Dakota State, having not beaten the Jackrabbits since Oct. 11, 2007, which ended as a 1-0 home victory. WIU fell, 2-0, in last season's road contest.

Scouting the opponents: South Dakota is 1-6-5 and coming off a home weekend that featured a 1-1 draw against Omaha and 4-2 loss against Denver. The Coyotes are an offensive-minded team, as the 17 goals scored this season is tied for third-best in the Summit League as six different players have recorded multiple goals this season – though the team has allowed a league-high 22 goals. For SDSU, the team is coming off a weekend at home that included a scoreless draw against Denver and was followed by a 3-0 victory over the Omaha Mavericks. With three Jackrabbits ranking in the top-four for assists this season, SDSU boasts the second-best attack in the league, averaging 1.6 goals per game and the best average margin between goals scored and goals allowed (+1.16).
 
So far this season: The Leathernecks are 3-6-3 and coming off a tough weekend that ended with two losses against the North Dakota schools, with Western now sitting at seventh in the Summit League standings with five games to go in the season. The WIU defense has been a strength this season, posting five shutouts in 12 games – two of which have come at home. Amy Andrews has continued to be a force this season with a league-leading seven goals, while Isabel Navas Rodriguez is tied for the league-lead with the aforementioned five shutouts.

Players to watch: Freshmen have played a big role for Western Illinois this season, with Olivia Heinert and Hana Daoudi starting 23 out of a possible 24 combined appearances, while Emily Martins has appeared in nine games off the WIU bench. Heinert scored the first goal of her WIU career against Loyola Chicago on Sept. 4, finishing at the far post to give Western an early lead. Playing out wide, Daoudi's two assists is tied for the team lead, while Martins has found her way into the Leatherneck rotation, appearing in each of the last four games.

What's next: After this weekend's action, Western hits the road to face Denver (Oct. 14) and Omaha (Oct. 16).
 
Print Friendly Version

Related Videos

Now Playing:

Related Stories