West Central Reporter

Western Illinois University is set to face Northern Iowa in a soccer match scheduled for Thursday, August 24, at Macomb High School in Macomb, Illinois. Western Illinois enters the game with a 1-1 record this season. The Leathernecks lost their first match against Northern Illinois with a score of 3-0 but bounced back with a victory over Chicago State Cougars, winning 1-0. Sachiko Gamo scored the decisive goal in that game.

Northern Iowa has had a strong start to their season, boasting two wins and a total goal differential of 10-0. They secured victories against St. Thomas and Viterbo, with Lauren Heinsch scoring twice for the Panthers. Goalkeeper Caitlin Richards has made seven saves over 135 minutes of play.

Historically, Western Illinois holds an advantage over Northern Iowa with a record of 10-4-2 in previous encounters. The Leathernecks have won the last three meetings between the teams since 2018.

Key players for Western Illinois include senior Emmy Ellington and graduate student Malerie Rohweder, who have played every minute of both games so far this season. Freshman Alanna Pennington also played the full match against Chicago State.

After Thursday's game, Western Illinois will travel to Chicago for a matchup against Loyola Chicago on August 31 and then head to Milwaukee for another game on September 3.