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Sarah Ritter

Men's Soccer Host Roos, Phoenix

| By: WIU Athletic Communications

Leathernecks to face Kansas City and Green Bay.

Who | Western Illinois (0-5-3, 0-1) vs Kansas City (4-3-1, 1-0) / Green Bay (3-2-3, 0-1 Horizon League)
When | Saturday, Oct. 1 – 1 p.m. / Tuesday, Oct. 4 – 3 p.m.
Where | John MacKenzie Alumni Field – Macomb, Ill.
Social media | Instagram + Twitter + Facebook 

Matchup History: Western Illinois and Kansas City have played 38 times in program history, with the Leathernecks holding a 21-15-2 advantage in the series. Last season, WIU went on the road and fell 1-0 in Kansas City, with Xavier Brown, Ryan DeBois, Arian Mehrang and Kyle Owen earning starts; Flowers would finish with seven saves. Against Green Bay, Western is 13-20-3, most recently playing on Sept. 1, 2019, which finished as a loss. Caleb Ragland, then a freshman, was credited with an assist on the lone Leatherneck goal.

Scouting the opponents: Kansas City is 4-3-1 and coming off a 2-0 home victory against Southern Indiana. The Roos boast one of the best attacks in the Summit League, currently averaging 1.6 goals per game which is good for the second-highest mark in the league while boasting the leading shooter in the Summit League in Christian Koffi. For Green Bay, the team is 3-2-2 and most recently faced a soon-to-be Western Illinois opponent in Detroit Mercy, finishing level at 1-1. Two players have scored multiple goals this season while goalkeeper Tobias Jahn has made 26 saves in eight appearances (eight starts) this season. Green Bay faces Northern Kentucky (Oct. 1) before making the journey to Macomb on Tuesday.

So far this season: WIU men's soccer enters this weekend's contests with an 0-5-3 record and coming off a weekend loss to the Omaha Mavericks after tying in a mid-week matchup against Northern Kentucky. Arian Mehrang scored his first goal of the season against NKU while the team was held scoreless against Omaha. Western has been one of the most effective teams at holding opponents' attacks this season, currently tying for second in the Summit League for goals allowed (12) and opponent average per game (1.5).
 
Players to watch: Kyle Owen has started every single match in his Western Illinois career, making 55 total appearances and playing almost 5,000 minutes in purple and gold. Owen has played all but 10 minutes this season while wearing the captain's armband, and has recorded multiple shots in back-to-back games while forcing some acrobatic saves from opposing goalkeepers. Originally from Oklahoma City, Okla., Owen has three goals and three assists to his name in just over three seasons of action.
 
Oscar Olingdahl has played a big role in the Leatherneck midfield this season, his first as a collegiate athlete. Olingdahl, from Uppasala, Sweden, ranks fifth on the roster in minutes played (558), having started six of his seven appearances this season. He's played 80+ minutes on five occasions, even going the full 90 against SIUE on Sept. 9. He recorded his first shot of the season against NIU on Sept. 17, putting it on frame and forcing a save out of the Husky goalkeeper.

What's next: After playing Saturday and Tuesday, Western Illinois will hit the road for its next matchup, heading across the state to face Eastern Illinois. Kickoff in Charleston is scheduled for 11 a.m. next Saturday (Oct. 8).
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