Macomb, IL- The Western Illinois men's soccer team (3-8-2, 1-1-2 OVC) continues its road trip with a key conference matchup this weekend, taking on Houston Christian University (7-3-1, 2-1-1 OVC) on Sunday, October 12 at 3 p.m. at Sorrels Field in Houston, Texas. The match will serve as the second half of a twin bill, following the HCU women's game at 1 p.m.

The Leathernecks enter the contest following a hard-fought 0-0 draw at UIW, earning their second tie in the last four matches. Western Illinois has steadily built momentum in conference play.

Senior forward Liam Gainey leads the Leathernecks offensively with five goals on a .636 shots-on-goal percentage. Junior forward Xavier Gagnon has added two goals and two assists, while senior goalkeeper Micah Ramirez anchors the defense, being one of the conference's top goalies with 19 saves (4.75 per game) through 13 starts.

Western Illinois will look to slow down a red-hot HCU side that has won two straight, including a decisive 3-0 victory over Eastern Illinois on Thursday night. The Huskies are unbeaten at home in their last three matches and currently boast one of the league's top attacks, led by Ryan Okerayi, who is fourth in conference with seven goals on the season, two being in conference play, and 15 points this season. 

Sunday's contest marks the fourth all-time meeting between the two programs. The series began in 1985 with a 2-2 draw in Macomb. Last season, the teams split a pair of matches: Houston Christian earned a 3-0 win at home behind a record-fast opening goal from Okerayi, while Western Illinois answered with a 1-0 win in Macomb on Gagnon's second-half strike, evening the series at 1-1-1. The Leathernecks look to take a 2-1-1 lead on the series. 

FOLLOW THE LEATHERNECKS

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