West Central Reporter

Western Illinois University's Men's Soccer team continued their strong defensive record at home, maintaining a clean sheet for 360 minutes at John MacKenzie Alumni Field in 2024. The Leathernecks faced Southern Indiana on Wednesday night, both teams eager to improve their standings as they were placed sixth and seventh, respectively.

The match remained goalless until the late stages when freshman Tyler Philpott scored in the 81st minute to give WIU the lead. Henrry Abarca-Gonzalez extended the advantage in the 87th minute after capitalizing on a defensive error by USI, securing a 2-0 victory for WIU.

Western Illinois started the game aggressively with early attempts from Gabe Chapa and Diego Porras. Southern Indiana also had opportunities but was thwarted by WIU's defense. The first half ended without any goals despite chances from both sides.

In the second half, WIU dominated offensively, out-shooting USI 12-4. Although several attempts went unconverted initially, Philpott eventually broke through following an assist from Abarca-Gonzalez. This marked Philpott's second game-winning goal of the season. Abarca-Gonzalez then scored his first collegiate goal after taking advantage of a mistake by USI's defense.

With this win, WIU improved their record to 7-7-1 overall and 2-4 in OVC play, moving up to sixth place in the conference standings ahead of their upcoming match against Eastern Illinois.

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