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Rachael Keating

Western Ready For OVC Matchweek 3

| By: WIU ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

The Leathernecks will take on Southern Indiana at home on Thursday before traveling to take on Tennesse Tech on Sunday

Who | Western Illinois (2-4-4, 0-0-3) vs. Southern Indiana (2-6-4, 1-1-1) / at Tennessee Tech (4-4-3, 3-0-0)
When | Thursday, October 5, 3 PM CT / Sunday, October 8, 1 PM CT
Where | John MacKenzie Alumni Field, Macomb, IL / Tech Soccer Field, Cookeville, TN
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter + Facebook

Previous matchup: Western is 2-0 all-time versus Southern Indiana, with the matches being played in 2007 and 2009. The Leathernecks look to build on their win streak vs. the Screaming Eagles on Thursday. Sunday marks the first ever match between WIU and Tennessee Tech. 

Scouting the opponents: Southern Indiana started the season on a rough note, only picking up one point in their first six matches. The Screaming Eagles have strung together a few results in recent weeks, as they hold a 2-1-3 record since September 7th. They are currently 1-1-1 in OVC play, most recently picking up a win at home against Morehead State, a squad the Leathernecks drew on the road. The Screaming Eagles are led by Pillar Torres, who's picked up three goals on the season. 
Tennessee Tech has proven to be one of the best squads in the OVC in 2023. The Golden Eagles hold a 4-4-3 record overall, and have won their first three matches in OVC play. Tech has scored the most goals in the conference, with twenty-two, as no other squad in the OVC has more than 15 on the year. Sunday's match will truly be a test for a Leatherneck defense that has played outstanding as of late. Tennessee Tech players hold the top three spots in Goals/game and Assists/game in the OVC. 

So far this season: Western, which has one of the youngest squads in the conference, has adopted a defensive identity in their inaugural season in the Ohio Valley. Western currently ranks tied for first in goals allowed in OVC play, as the squad has only allowed one goal in three matches. The Leathernecks have opened OVC play with three consecutive results, with back-to-back nil-nil draws, and most recently a one-all affair last Sunday at UT-Martin. Western currently holds a 2-4-4 overall record, and got an impressive result earlier in the year when they drew Northern Iowa, a squad who's only dropped points twice in twelve matches.

Players to watch: The Leathernecks' defensive identity starts with keeper Isabel Navas Rodriguez, who has picked up three OVC Goalkeeper of the Week awards in 2023. Defenders Emmy Ellington, Rita Moran, Ali Matthews, and Sarah De Gannes have all put in standout performances from the back end over the season. De Gannes, a senior from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, recently returned from international duty with Trinidad and Tobago, where she picked up her sixth cap with the senior team.

What's next: After Sunday's match, Western will play four more OVC matches over the next two weeks. Western will welcome in-state rival Eastern Illinois back to Macomb on Thursday, before the squad heads south to Edwardsville to take on SIUE next Sunday. 
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