West Central Reporter

Western Illinois University's men's soccer team is preparing for two home matches this week, facing Bradley on September 3 and Green Bay on September 6 in Macomb, Illinois. The Leathernecks are aiming to recover from a narrow 1-0 loss to Northern Kentucky last Sunday.

The team has shown periods of strong defensive play but has allowed late goals in recent games. This week, Western Illinois will focus on maintaining defensive intensity throughout the entire match. "Opponents have scored late goals in back-to-back matches, and WIU's focus this week will be on finishing games with the same defensive intensity they have shown capable of in the first half," according to the team.

In their most recent match against Northern Kentucky, Western Illinois earned nine corner kicks and created several scoring chances. The coaching staff hopes to convert these opportunities into goals in the upcoming contests.

Bradley University enters Wednesday's game with a record of 1-1-1. Last season, Bradley finished seventh in the Missouri Valley Conference with a 1-5-2 conference record. Forward Mitch Coughlon returns after leading his team with six goals last year. Bradley is coming off its first win of the season after defeating Milwaukee 1-0.

Green Bay will visit Macomb on Saturday holding a 1-2-0 record. The Phoenix were ranked No. 1 in the Horizon League's preseason poll and recently earned their first victory of the season by beating Southern Indiana 1-0. Earlier, Green Bay lost to #12 Indiana by a score of 2-1.

Fans can follow updates about Western Illinois men's soccer at GoLeathernecks.com or through social media platforms X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook.