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Sarah Ritter

With Regular Season Finale Looming, WIU Heads to Denver

| By: WIU Athletic Communications

Leatherneck men’s soccer faces the Pioneers at 2 p.m. CT on Saturday (Nov. 5).

Who | Western Illinois (2-7-7, 2-2-3 SL) at No. 10 Denver (9-2-5, 4-0-2 SL)
When | Saturday (Nov. 5), 2 p.m. CT
Where | University of Denver Soccer Stadium – Denver, Colo.
Social media | Instagram + Twitter + Facebook 

Matchup History: The Leathernecks have struggled in the all-time series against Denver, with WIU holding a 1-14 record across 15 total appearances in a series that dates back to Sept. 20, 1998. The lone victory, which senior Arian Mehrang described as his favorite memory from his time at WIU, came on Oct. 12, 2019, which finished as a 4-3 victory in Macomb. Ryan DeBois scored his first goal of the season in the 66th minute before Kyle Owen headed in the game-winner in the 76th minute off a corner kick. Owen started alongside Caleb Ragland and Xavier Brown while DeBois and Mehrang combined to play 61 minutes off the WIU bench; Mehrang also scored during last season's matchup.

Scouting the opponents: Denver is currently ranked No. 10 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll and sits at second in the Summit League with a 9-2-5 record, having lost twice this season to San Diego State (Sept. 11) and Oregon State (Sept. 20). Central to the Pios' success this season has been a stout defense that has conceded just 10 goals in 16 games played, with goalkeeper Isaac Nehme recording a league-best six shutouts. The attack is led by Sam Bassett who is tied for the league-lead in goals with six and Ronan Wynne, whose five assists ranks among the top-five in the league. The Pios will face Linendwood on Wednesday (Nov. 2) before hosting WIU on Saturday.

So far this season: Western Illinois is 2-7-7 this season and coming off a loss to the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles, which ended a five-game unbeaten streak. The Leatherneck defense has been a strength this season, ranking fifth among 10 Summit League teams for goals allowed (27) and opponent scoring average per game (2.27). Kyle Owen and Muazu Sagir have led the attack, combining to score seven goals and provide five assists for a Leatherneck attack that has more than doubled its scoring totals from last season; each of the team's 14 goals during this 2022 fall season have come from assists.
 
Players to watch: Entering Saturday's game with 58 appearances and 46 starts across his WIU career, Xavier Brown has played 1,289 minutes this season, which ranks second among field players and marks the first time in his WIU career that he finishes a season with over 1,000 minutes of action. Brown scored twice in three games earlier this season, giving Western a late-game lead against IUPUI on September 4th and tying the game against Milwaukee on Sept. 13, and has played every single minute of the team's last six games.

Ryan DeBois has made 66 appearances and 49 starts across five seasons at Western Illinois. During the 2019 season, DeBois scored a career-high eight goals and was named First Team All-Summit League, and provided the game-winning assist in Western's 1-0 victory over Eastern Illinois last season, and has appeared in every game this season. DeBois is in the process of earning his third degree from WIU.
 
With 70 career appearances and 43 starts during his time as a Leatherneck, Arian Mehrang has made double-digit appearances in each of his five seasons while recording points in each of the last four seasons. Last season, he scored the game-winning goal in Western's 1-0 victory over Eastern Illinois, and added another goal against Northern Kentucky on September 20 of this season. With 12 starts this year, Mehrang has played the full 90 minutes in four of his last five appearances.
 
What's next: Saturday's game is the final contest of the 2022 regular season, and it is still mathematically possible for the Leathernecks to make this year's Summit League Tournament. 
 
 
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