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Pair of Home Matches Headline Big Week For Western Illinois

| By: WIU ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Leatherneck Men’s Soccer has two massive opportunities as they host Southern Indiana and Eastern Illinois this week.

Where | Macomb, Illinois - John MacKenzie Alumni Field 
When | 
Wednesday, October 16th, 3:30 PM vs. Southern Indiana       Stream     Live Stats 
Sunday, October 20th, 2:30 PM vs. Eastern Illinois                Stream     Live Stats
(All times central)

About the Screaming Eagles:
Southern Indiana (2-10-1, 1-3-1) started the season with seven straight losses. The Screaming Eagles then picked up back-to-back wins over Rose-Hulman and Eastern Illinois, but have not scored since that OVC opener against the Panthers. Despite going goalless, they picked up a draw at home against Incarnate Word in their last match, a side the Leathernecks took a loss to. Western Illinois is down 1-2-1 in the all-time series, most recently drawing the Screaming Eagles in 2022. 

A Storied Rivalry Returns:
Eastern Illinois (1-9-1, 0-5) and the Leathernecks have a long history as men's soccer programs. Sunday's edition of the match will be the 62nd all-time matchup between the two sides, and last year's match ended up being an absolute classic, as Diego Porras scored an Olimpico game-winner with four seconds left, as the Leathernecks claimed a 2-1 victory over EIU. Eastern leads the series all-time, with a record of 34-20-7. Sunday's matchup will be massive for the Leathernecks as they seek to pick up points.

Leatherneck Check-in:
Western Illinois (6-7-1, 1-4) is coming off its most promising week of OVC play, defeating Liberty 1-0 in Macomb, before just falling short to Lindenwood, dropping a contest 0-1 as the Lions converted a penalty with just ten minutes left in the game. Even though the Leathernecks are in 7th place in the conference entering the final five matches, four of the final five will be played in Macomb, where the Leathernecks have won every game this season, and have not allowed a single goal. This home stretch will be massive for Western Illinois, which looks to clinch a spot in the OVC tournament in its first year in the conference. 

Another for the Captain:
On October 15, Leatherneck sophomore defender Joel McIntyre was named the Ohio Valley Conference's Defensive Player of the Week for the third time this season, making him the only player in the conference to earn three Defensive Player of the Week honors in 2024. McIntyre led the Leathernecks to a 1-0 win over Liberty, shutting out one of the nation's top scoring offenses. Against Lindenwood, McIntyre made a stellar goal-line clearance to help keep the Leathernecks level. 

Weekly Award Sweep:
Western Illinois swept weekly awards after dominating Northern Illinois, as three Leathernecks picked up OVC Player of the Week honors on Tuesday, September 24. Freshman keeper Alexis Michaud was tabbed the conference's Goalkeeper of the Week after a seven-save clean sheet. Joel McIntyre picked up Co-Defensive Player of the Week, leading the Leathernecks to a shutout victory. Senior midfielder Jimmy Baars was named Offensive Player of the Week after netting a pair of goals, making it a Leatherneck sweep in the OVC. 

Player of the Week:
Following the first week of Leatherneck men's soccer action, center-back and sophomore captain Joel McIntyre was named the OVC's Defensive Player of the Week. McIntyre helped lead the Leatherneck defense to a one-all draw with the Bulldogs. The award was the first of McIntyre's career. 

Player to Watch:
In the Ohio Valley Conference's preseason poll, Jimmy Baars was named an OVC Player to Watch. A senior midfielder, Baars is in his second year with the Leathernecks. A native of Kudelstaart, Netherlands, Baars started in seven of his 14 appearances, totaling 590 minutes on the year. He finished his 2023 campaign with nine shot attempts and four on goal. 

FOLLOW THE LEATHERNECKS
For all the latest information on Leatherneck Men's Soccer, please visit GoLeathernecks.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Leathernecks on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.
 
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