Western Illinois Takes On Morehead at Home, SEMO on Road in Week Two of OVC Play

Wednesday, September 25, 2024 | By: WIU ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Where | John MacKenzie Alumni Field - Macomb, Ill. | Houck Field - Cape Girardeau, Mo.
When |
Thursday, September 26, 3 PM vs. Morehead State Stream Live Stats
Sunday, September 29, 1 PM @ Southeast Missouri State Stream Live Stats
(All times central)

About the Eagles:
Morehead State is one of the better teams in the OVC, sitting at 4-3-3 overall after picking up a 5-1 win over Eastern Illinois on matchday one. They are one of two teams above .500 in the conference, along with Lindenwood, who WIU just lost to on Sunday. Morehead State boasts both the best scoring offense and scoring defense in the conference, scoring 1.3 goals per game while allowing 1.2 goals per contest. Hedda Ornberg's four goals on the season are second in the OVC.

Meet SEMO:
The Redhawks haven't had an ideal start to the 2024 season, as they dropped their first six matches of the season. SEMO drew with Southern Indiana on Sunday, the only tie of the conference's first matchday. The Redhawks score the second to least amount of goals per game (.286) and allow the second most goals per game (2.714) in the OVC.

Seven Matches In:
Western Illinois enters the weekend at 0-8, most recently losing to Lindenwood in the conference opener on Sunday. Western Illinois will look to pick up some crucial points this weekend, as they have yet to get a result on the season. Goalkeeper Ariel Bernard was named an OVC Notable Performer for her 10-save match against Lindenwood and leads the OVC in saves per game with 8.0.

Key Returners:
Western Illinois returns 23 players from its 2023 squad. Isabel Navas Rodriguez, a fifth-year keeper from Madrid, Spain, comes back to the Leathernecks after being named OVC Goalkeeper of the Week on three occasions last season. Sydnee Sagal, a fifth-year midfielder from Oconomowoc, WI, returns after starting in all matches in 2023. Junior outside back Hana Daoudi returns to this year's squad after finishing third among all outfield players in minutes last season. Alanna Pennington is looking to build on her 2023 freshman campaign where she started all 16 matches and scored thrice, leading the squad.

Player to Watch:
Senior attacker/midfielder Kayla Turner was named Western Illinois' representative as a Player to Watch. Turner, in her fourth season with the Leathernecks, started 16 games as a freshman, scoring once and assisting three goals in the 2021 campaign. Turner missed most of her sophomore season, only playing three games, but bounced back last season in a super-sub role. Turner scored the Leathernecks' first goal of the OVC conference season, helping lead Western Illinois to a 1-1 draw at UT Martin. Turner also got an assist in a 3-1 win over Green Bay in 2023 and finished fourth on the 2023 side in shot attempts with ten.

Fresh Faces:
Despite the 23 returning players, seven newcomers to the 2024 squad will look to make an impact. Coach Josee Primeau bolstered an offense that struggled to put the ball in the net in 2023, adding three junior transfer forwards to the squad. A native of Crocker, MO, Callie McMurtrey joins the team after a pair of seasons at Jefferson College. From Cody, WY, Autumn Wilson scored 16 goals in 16 games as a sophomore and will look to provide a scoring punch for the Leathernecks. Rounding out the group of transfers is Landry McCoid, who dominated ICCAC competition with Iowa Central CC in 2023. McCoid scored 35 goals in 17 games last season before joining the Leathernecks. Four freshmen also join this year's team, goalkeeper Ariel Bernard, outside back Hilary Halpin, defensive midfielder Aofie Boulter, and midfielder Ava Bell.

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