Box Score CHICAGO, Ill. —Adam Reiniger scored for the Leathernecks, but an early DePaul offensive surge proved to be the difference as Western Illinois fell 3-1 to the Blue Demons on Thursday.
DePaul struck quickly, taking a 1-0 lead just 39 seconds into the match when Noeh Hernandez scored off assists from Luca Iaccino and Ronan Selbo.
The Leathernecks responded with opportunities of their own throughout the opening half. Xavier Gagnon and Joel McIntyre each put shots on target, but DePaul goalkeeper Chance Johnson turned both attempts away.
Hernandez added his second goal of the afternoon in the 29th minute to extend the Blue Demon advantage to 2-0. DePaul added another goal less than five minutes later, as Mason Kutch found the top right corner in the 34th minute to give the hosts a three-goal lead.
Western Illinois continued to battle and broke through in the 37th minute. Reiniger finished with his left foot into the bottom right corner of the net to cut the deficit to 3-1 heading into halftime.
"Tough way to start a game, especially on the road," Western Illinois head coach Kooten Johnson said. "Credit to our response to battle back into the game, but it just wasn't enough today. We didn't deal with the counterattack very well and missed a few good chances. We will learn from it and have a chance to bounce back Sunday."
The Leathernecks continued to push for another goal during the second half, earning two additional corner kicks and generating several scoring opportunities. Diego Porras forced a save from Johnson in the 61st minute, while George Frost and Porras each added additional attempts.
Western Illinois continued to battle despite being reduced to 10 players in the 74th minute following a red card to Fernando Adrados Castro. The Leathernecks held DePaul scoreless over the final 56 minutes of the contest but were unable to find another breakthrough.
Harvey Bolland played all 90 minutes in goal for Western Illinois.
The Leathernecks will look to bounce back Sunday when they return home for their next match against University of Springfield Illinois.
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