Western Courier

Issue date: 10/28/09 Section: Sports

Senior midfielder Nathan Sanchez scored Western's second goal in Sunday's 3-2 loss at IPFW.

For its final non-conference game of the season, the Western Illinois men's soccer team hosts Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville today at 3 p.m.

The Leathernecks are coming off a tough week in which they took University of Illinois-Chicago to a scoreless tie last Wednesday and fell to IPFW 3-2 in a disappointing loss last Saturday.

"We got the wrong result in the wrong game," said head coach Eric Johnson. "We needed at least a tie against Fort Wayne (IPFW), and we didn't get it so I was real disappointed defensively in how we mismanaged the game to allow three goals on the road."

With a 2-2-1 record in their five previous contests, these final three matches are crucial for the 'Necks' postseason dreams.

"We need a tie or a win in the next two conference games to be in the tournament," Johnson said. "Tomorrow will be fun and there will be some pressure at Oral Roberts, but I think the pressure will be on Oral Roberts because it's an away game. So hopefully we can catch them and get a result there."

Facing the Cougars on Wednesday should give the 'Necks a chance to prepare for Saturday's match against Oral Roberts, a squad that plays with a style that resembles the Cougars'.

"They play similarly so what we do tomorrow may help us for Saturday night, and if it doesn't help us then we can change the plan," Johnson said. "They're both possession teams that keep it on the floor and play kind of the same system."

No matter how helpful Wednesday's match may be, the 'Necks are hurt by injuries that have plagued them all season long. They have forced Johnson to use different line-ups over the past few games.

"We're nicked up, we got some guys who aren't going to play," Johnson said. "We've been dealing with them, and it just seems like we have to deal with them every week."

For the seniors, the result of this match as well as the final two may extend their season and their careers at Western."Our seniors want to play games and they've got three left," Johnson said. "If we win one of those conference games we get four, so the focus is on that right now."

The 'Necks follow their home match against Southern Illinois-Edwardsville with Oral Roberts on Saturday night at 7 p.m. in Tulsa, Okla.

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