West Central Reporter

Western Illinois University's men's soccer team, known as the Leathernecks, is set to travel to Texas for matches against Houston Christian and the University of the Incarnate Word. The games are scheduled for Thursday, October 3rd at 7 PM in Houston and Saturday, October 6th at 1 PM in San Antonio.

Houston Christian currently holds a record of 3-4-2 and has achieved a conference win over Incarnate Word with a score of 1-0. Ryan Okerayi leads their team with nine points this season. Meanwhile, Incarnate Word stands at 2-4-1, having won against UTRGV and Our Lady of the Lake.

The Leathernecks enter these matches with a record of 5-4-1 after experiencing a loss to Liberty. Their recent performance includes victories over Gonzaga, Northern Illinois, and IU Indy. However, they will be without sophomore captain Joel McIntyre for Thursday's match due to a red card received in their last game.

Western Illinois recently swept the Ohio Valley Conference weekly awards following their dominant performance against Northern Illinois. Alexis Michaud was named Goalkeeper of the Week; Joel McIntyre earned Co-Defensive Player of the Week honors; and Jimmy Baars was recognized as Offensive Player of the Week.

Baars was also highlighted as an OVC Player to Watch in the preseason poll. In his second year with Western Illinois, he made significant contributions during his previous season.

For updates on Leatherneck Men's Soccer, fans can visit GoLeathernecks.com or follow them on social media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook.