MACOMB, IL – Western Illinois men's soccer came up short on its home pitch Saturday afternoon, falling 1-0 to Green Bay at Northwest Field.
The only goal of the contest came in the 33rd minute when Green Bay's Chris Album converted from close range. Despite the early deficit, the Leathernecks generated plenty of chances but were unable to find the equalizer.
Western Illinois outshot the Phoenix 11-8. Benjamin Graham and Xavier Gagnon led the charge with a combined seven attempts—four of which were on target. The Leathernecks pressed for a breakthrough in the second half, but Green Bay goalkeeper Drew Swancutt turned away five shots to secure the victory for the Phoenix.
In goal, Micah Ramirez made three key saves, including a pair of early stops in the first half to keep WIU in the game. Defensively, Gabriel Velasco and Nathan Bessinger anchored the back line, both logging a full 90 minutes.
The match was physical with 28 fouls committed between the teams, and a total of four yellow cards were issued (three to Green Bay, one to Western Illinois).
With the loss, Western Illinois moves to 2-4-0 on the season.
Looking ahead, the Leathernecks' next opponent is UIC, with a road match scheduled for Thursday, September 11, at 7:00 p.m. in Chicago.
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