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Xavier Brown

From West to East, Leathernecks Wrap Up Non-League Play

| By: WIU Athletic Communications

WIU faces Eastern Illinois on Friday (Sept. 16) before starting Summit League action next weekend.

Who | Western Illinois (1-3-3) at Eastern Illinois (2-1-4)
When | Friday (Sept. 16), 2022 - 3 p.m.
Where | Lakeside Field – Charleston, Ill.
Social media | Instagram + Twitter + Facebook 

Previous matchup: The series between Western and Eastern Illinois dates back to Oct. 19, 1997, a game that the Leathernecks lost on the road. Since then, Western is 5-10-2, most recently falling on the road on Sept. 10, 2017. The series has featured two overtime games, including a 3-2 WIU victory on Aug. 28, 2015. Western has a 4-3-2 record in the last nine matches, with victories in 2005, 2006, 2008 and that overtime victory in 2015, while playing EIU to a draw in 2007 and 2010.

Scouting the opponents: Eastern Illinois is currently 2-1-4 and coming off a 1-1 draw on the road at Central Michigan. The Panthers are 1-1-1 when playing in Charleston, though the team lost 2-1 to Northern Illinois in its last home matchup. The panthers have scored a total of seven goals this season, with three goals coming from Jenna Little – who leads the team in that category. Amanda Dasilva is the assist leader with two while goalkeeper Daniela Bermeo has made 31 saves across seven appearances.

So far this season: Western is coming off a weekend split with in-state matchups against Northern Illinois (Sept. 9) and Illinois State (Sept. 11). The Leathernecks were dominant against NIU, finishing with the third clean sheet of the young season while seeing Alex Bassen and Sydnee Sagal score their first goals as Leathernecks. Amy Andrews scored the third, and followed it up with another goal in Sunday's loss to Illinois State. Western is continuing to put a large number of shots on target this season, with nearly 51% of their 9.9 shots per game being on frame.

Players to watch: A sophomore from Woodbury, Minn., Emmy Ellington has continued to play a big role in her second season at Western Illinois. Ellington played in each of the team's 18 games last season and made 14 starts, and has carried that momentum into this season. So far in 2022, Ellington has started each of the team's seven games and leads the team in minutes played (608), providing stability at the back for a Leatherneck defense that has recorded three shutouts in seven games.

Alex Bassen had a career game against Northern Illinois, finishing with three points thanks to one goal and an assist. Bassen's goal came less than two minutes into the match, and she played the ball that Sydnee Sagal finished to double the Leatherneck advantage. The goal and assist were both the first of her WIU career, and Bassen now ranks second on the team for overall points with three.
 
In her first season of collegiate soccer, Hana Daoudi has played in each of the team's seven games and started six. Daoudi, a freshman from Council Bluffs, Iowa, recorded the first assist of her career against Northern Illinois, playing Alex Bassen in for her goal. She has played 80+ minutes in each of the team's last four games, and is coming off a match with Illinois State in which she played the full 90.

What's next: Friday's matchup officially concludes the non-league slate for Western Illinois, and the team will face Summit League competition the rest of the way; league play begins next Friday (Sept. 23) at 3 p.m., when Oral Roberts visits John MacKenzie Alumni Field.
 
 
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