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MACOMB, Ill. - Fighting Leatherneck women's soccer (11-2-0, 3-0-0) hits the road to resume conference play this weekend at 2011 Summit League regular season runner-up North Dakota State (4-8-0, 1-2-0) on Friday (October 12) and 2011 Summit League regular season conference champion South Dakota State (2-9-1, 0-3-0) on Sunday (October 14).
In action last week, Western worked for two 1-0 shutouts on the pitch and extended its win streak to five matches. The first came over Drake at home on Wednesday (October 3). Sarah Hall buried a shot in the final two minutes of the first half to earn her fifth goal of the season, four of which have been match-winners. In Saturday's (October 6) road match at IUPUI, Sloane Levin notched the lone goal when she sent in a free kick from 25-yards out. It was her first match-winner and third goal of the season.
Keeper Laura Atkinson earned both wins in net tallying eight saves in each. For her efforts, she was awarded Summit League 'Defensive Player of the Week' honors. She leads the nation in save percentage (0.944) and ranks second nationally with a goals-against average of 0.29, while her seven wins, two goals against and five shutouts pace the Summit League.
THE BREAKDOWN
WHO: Western Illinois vs. North Dakota State
WHEN: Friday, October 12 at 4 p.m.
LOCATION: Fargo, N.D.
STADIUM: Ellig Sports Complex
LIVESTATS: HERE
WHO: Western Illinois vs. South Dakota State
WHEN: Sunday, October 14 at 1 p.m.
LOCATION: Brookings, S.D.
STADIUM: Fishback Soccer Park
LIVESTATS: HERE
WEEKLY NOTES
A LOOK AT THE BISON: Summit League member North Dakota State brings an overall record of 4-8-0 and a league mark of 1-2-0...A trio of Bison, Anisha Kinnarath, Jordyn Wallenborn and Lizzie Lukas, lead the team in goals with three each...Kinnarath also paces the team in points with 10 and assists with four...Keeper Sierra Bonham has logged 987:28 minutes in net this season and owns a record of 3-7-0...She has allowed 16 goals on the season with a 1.46 goals against average and has a save percentage of .824 tallying 75 saves...The squad defeated South Dakota State 2-1 (2 OT) then dropped a 2-1 decision to Oakland and a 1-0 match to Fort Wayne.
SERIES HISTORY: Western trails 3-4-1 in overall meetings between the two teams...In their last meeting on October 9, 2011, the Bison played to a 4-0 shutout.
A LOOK AT THE JACKRABBITS: Summit League member South Dakota State brings an overall record of 2-9-1 into the match and has a conference record of 0-3-0...Three Jackrabbits have three goals on the season, Diana Potterveld, Stacy Guijarro and Darci Miller...Potterveld and Christa Nyblom pace the squad in points with seven...Nyblom also leads the team in assists with three...Keeper Elisa Stamatakis has spent 1051:50 minutes in net for the Jackrabbits this season and owns a record of 2-8-1...She has allowed 22 goals for a 1.88 goals against average and has a save percentage of .639 tallying 39 saves on the season...The team fell in double overtime to North Dakota State 2-1, single overtime to Fort Wayne 2-1 and in regulation to defending Summit League Champion Oakland 1-0.
SERIES HISTORY: Western trails in all-time meetings 1-5-1 to South Dakota State...In their last meeting on October 7, 2011, the Jackrabbits played to a 1-0 victory.
NATIONAL ATTENTION: The Leathernecks rank in the top 25 in several team categories including: save percentage (7th-0.897), goals against average (8th-0.462), scoring offense (11th-2.69), won-lost-tied percentage (12th-0.846) and shutout percentage (24th-0.538)...Keeper Laura Atkinson leads the nation in save percentage (0.944) and is second in goals-against average (0.29)...Sarah Hall is 15th in game-winning goals with four.
PACING THE LEAGUE: Western Illinois women's soccer leads the Summit League in overall and conference standings with records of 11-2-0 and 3-0-0...Laura Atkinson owns top marks in save percentage (0.944), goals against (2), goals-against average (0.29), wins (7) and shutouts (5)...Kellie Julius ranks second in assists with five, while Katie Condon is second in goals with five and third in points with 11.
ON THE VERGE OF HISTORY: The 2012 squad is approaching several Western Illinois school records with five matches remaining in the regular season...The team is currently tied for second in wins in a season with 11 (record is 16), tied for third in goals in a season with 35 (record is 38), fourth in points in a season with 97 (record is 110) and fifth in assists in a season with 27 (record is 34)...Sarah Hall is currently tied with the current school record of four game-winning goals in a season.
CAPTAINS: Three members of the Leatherneck women's soccer senior class, Sarah Blaase, Katie Condon and Kellie Julius, will captain the squad this season.
AT THE HELM: Ted Flogaites became the fifth Western Illinois women's soccer head coach in July 2012...He joins the Leatherneck family following a five year stint at Hastings College where he amassed a record of 76-22-9 for a .729 winning percentage...In his 11-year coaching career, Flogaites has a record of 123-85-13...Flogaites graduated from UC Santa Barbara in 1999 and was a member of the Gaucho men's soccer team...To view his bio, click HERE.
PRESEASON POLL: The Leathernecks were picked to finish tied for sixth along with IUPUI in the 2012 Summit League Women's Soccer Preseason Poll. Western Illinois tallied 22 points in the all Summit League coach vote. Oakland, last year's Summit League Tournament Champion, was picked to finish first with 61 points and regular season champions South Dakota State took second with 59 points.
