West Central Reporter

Western Illinois University's men's soccer team suffered its first loss in Ohio Valley Conference play this season, falling 2-0 to Lindenwood University on Sunday afternoon at Hunter Stadium.

The Leathernecks started the match with an aggressive offensive approach. Senior forward Liam Gainey recorded the team's first shot at the 19th minute. Sophomore defender and midfielder Benjamin Graham added another attempt at the 27th minute, and junior forward Diego Porras closed out the half with a shot just before halftime. Despite these efforts, both teams went into halftime scoreless.

Lindenwood, which had six shots to Western Illinois' three in the opening half, took control early in the second period. Graduate student forward Sebastia Cerda Tous scored for Lindenwood at the 49th minute, putting his team ahead 1-0.

Western Illinois responded with two shots within ten minutes—one by sophomore Bruce Harris at the 54th minute and another by senior Nathan Bessinger at the 58th minute. However, two consecutive fouls by Western Illinois led to a penalty kick opportunity for Lindenwood at the 71st minute. Graduate student midfielder Gavin Csiszar converted, securing a second goal for Lindenwood.

With this result, Western Illinois dropped to a record of 3-8-1 for the season while Lindenwood remained undefeated at 10-0-1. The Leathernecks continue their three-game road trip on Thursday against the University of Incarnate Word.

For further updates about Western Illinois men's soccer, fans can visit GoLeathernecks.com or follow their social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook.