West Central Reporter

Western Illinois University's men's soccer team will travel to face the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) Cardinals in an important Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) matchup. The Leathernecks currently rank fourth in the conference with a 1-1-1 record and a 3-8-1 overall mark. They aim to recover after a 2-0 defeat to Lindenwood at Hunter Stadium, which was their first conference loss of the season.

In the recent match against Lindenwood, Western Illinois showed early offensive potential. Senior forward Liam Gainey initiated an attack in the 19th minute, followed by opportunities from sophomore defender/midfielder Benjamin Graham and junior forward Diego Porras. The first half ended without goals against Lindenwood, which is recognized as the top shooting team in the league.

Lindenwood scored early in the second half. Despite efforts from Bruce Harris and Nathan Bessinger of Western Illinois, Lindenwood secured the win with two goals.

Gainey leads Western Illinois in offense this season, with five goals and one assist for a total of 11 points. Graham has contributed two game-winning goals, including one in the match against SIUE.

The UIW Cardinals have a 4-3-4 overall record and are 0-1-2 in conference play. They return to Benson Stadium after recording three consecutive draws and one loss since their last win on September 12. The Cardinals are currently in sixth place in the OVC standings.

UIW has won both previous meetings between the teams, with their last match ending in a 2-0 victory for the Cardinals.

For UIW, Diego Robles is the leading scorer with two goals, one assist, and a 62.5% shot-on-target rate. Noe Robles follows with one goal and one assist. Sophomore forward Emanuel "Manny" Martinez is notable for his shot efficiency, scoring two goals from seven shots on target (87.5%). On defense, Giovanni Padilla leads the team with four assists while anchoring the back line.

The Leathernecks will try to improve their conference record to 2-1-1 in Thursday's match, which begins at 7 p.m. and will be available to watch on ESPN+.

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