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Leathernecks Host OVC Home Opener, Travel to Lindenwood

| By: WIU ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Western Illinois Men’s Soccer hosts Liberty on Thursday afternoon before heading south to St. Charles to take on the Lions on Sunday.

Where | Macomb, Illinois - John MacKenzie Alumni Field | St. Charles, Mo. - Hunter Stadium

When | 
Thursday, October 10th, 3:30 PM vs. Liberty         Live Stats
Saturday, October 13th, 3 PM @ Lindenwood        Stream     Live Stats
(All times central)

Liberty Rematch:
The Flames and Leathernecks just recently met on September 28 in Lynchburg. The match was close at the half as Liberty took a one-nil lead into the break, but both sides played an even match. The second half was a different story as the Flames poured on six second-half goals, with four of them coming when WIU was playing with ten men. Still, since the halftime break of that match, the Leathernecks have been outscored 11-2 in just 235 minutes. The Leathernecks must find a way to curb the Liberty attack, as OVC golden boot favorite Michael Huss has netted eight goals on the season, three of them coming on Sep. 28th vs. WIU. 

Meet the Lions:
Lindenwood (6-4-1, 2-1) is in the midst of a solid season in the OVC, currently sitting in third place three matches into league play. The Lions and Leathernecks have met up twice in the past. In 2022, the Leathernecks won 3-2, and last season, the sides played to a nil-nil draw. Lindenwood is coming off of a pair of massive OVC shutout victories, as they defeated Southern Indiana 2-0 before recently dismantling Eastern Illinois by a score of 6-0. Lindenwood scores the second most goals per game of any side in the conference, just behind Liberty. Ethan Blake has been one of the strongest attacking players in the conference, tallying four goals and seven assists in 2024.

Leatherneck Check-in:
Western Illinois (5-6-1, 0-3) has now dropped their first three matches of the OVC season, a less than ideal start to league play. As the Leathernecks take on the two best offenses in the conference this weekend, the defense faces a massive challenge as the Leathernecks need to pick up points. WIU is currently allowing 2.33 goals per contest, the third-highest mark in the conference. The Leatherneck offense had a solid start to the season, but the Leathernecks only mustered five shot attempts in Sunday's match at Incarnate Word, and had the same total against Houston Christian on Thursday. Finding more attacking opportunities will surely be a key for the Leathernecks as they head into this big weekend. 

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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