West Central Reporter

The Western Illinois University men's soccer team is set to continue its road schedule with a conference match against Houston Christian University on Sunday, October 12. The game will take place at Sorrels Field in Houston, Texas, and is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m., following the HCU women's soccer game.

Western Illinois enters the contest with a record of 3-8-2 overall and 1-1-2 in Ohio Valley Conference play. The team recently secured a scoreless draw against UIW, marking their second tie in four matches as they look to build momentum within the conference.

Senior forward Liam Gainey leads Western Illinois offensively this season, having scored five goals and maintaining a .636 shots-on-goal percentage. Junior forward Xavier Gagnon has contributed two goals and two assists. In goal, senior Micah Ramirez has made 19 saves over 13 starts, averaging nearly five saves per game.

Houston Christian comes into Sunday's matchup with a 7-3-1 overall record and is currently 2-1-1 in conference play. The Huskies have won their last two games, including a recent 3-0 victory over Eastern Illinois. They are unbeaten at home in their past three matches and feature one of the top offenses in the league. Ryan Okerayi leads HCU's attack with seven goals this season—two of which came during conference play—and has tallied 15 points.

This meeting marks the fourth all-time matchup between Western Illinois and Houston Christian. The series began in 1985 with a draw. Last season, each team claimed a win: Houston Christian won at home with an early goal from Okerayi, while Western Illinois responded with a victory on its own field thanks to Gagnon's second-half goal.

Fans can find more information about the Leatherneck Men's Soccer team by visiting GoLeathernecks.com or following the team's social media accounts for updates.