West Central Reporter

The Western Illinois University men's soccer team faced a challenging match on the road against Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, resulting in a 3-0 defeat. The game, held on Saturday, was crucial as it was part of the Ohio Valley Conference schedule.

Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, currently leading the conference with an overall record of 8-4-3 and 6-1-1 in OVC play, took control early. They scored their first goal just nine minutes into the match. Despite efforts from Western Illinois to stabilize their defense, SIU-E managed to score again at the 19:05 mark and added another goal two minutes later. This left them with a commanding 3-0 lead by halftime.

Western Illinois, now holding a record of 7-9-1 overall and 2-6 in OVC play, struggled offensively. They finished the game with six shots, only one of which was on target. Goalkeeper Micah Ramirez recorded three saves out of six shots faced.

The Leathernecks are currently in sixth place within the conference standings. This position is critical as it represents the final qualifying spot for the conference tournament. Meanwhile, Southern Indiana's draw with Eastern Illinois leaves Western Illinois with six points in league play, compared to Southern Indiana's five and Eastern Illinois' four.

Looking ahead, Western Illinois will host Incarnate Word on Thursday at 3 p.m., hoping to secure their place in the upcoming tournament.

For more information about Leatherneck Men's Soccer, fans can visit GoLeathernecks.com or follow updates on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook.