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Westerwinds hit the road for a pair of games this weekend

October 26, 2007 on 9:45 pm | In Athletics |

MACOMB, Ill.- After entering the polls for the first time in school’s history at No. 15, the Western Illinois women’s soccer team will play two road games at North Dakota State, Saturday, Oct. 20, and at Creighton, Sunday, Oct. 21.

The Westerwinds are 11-1-1 this season, which ties the school record for wins in a season, set by the 2006 squad. After consecutive shutouts of South Dakota State (1-0) and Iowa State (2-0), Western entered the regional rankings for the first time in school’s history, at No. 15 in the Great Lakes region.

About North Dakota State
The Bison are 10-4-0 on the season with a 2-1-0 Summit League record. They are currently on a five-game winning streak in which they have outscored their opponents 12-2. Their two Summit League wins have come against IUPUI (3-1) and IPFW (3-0).

North Dakota State’s offense has seen 10 different players score a goal, with the majority of the offense coming from senior Michelle Martinez and freshman Quin Ryan. Both Martinez and Ryan are tied for the team lead in goals with five. Martinez leads the Bison with 13 points on the season.

Sophomore Monica Morgan has spent a majority of the season in net for North Dakota State. In over 1,246 minutes in goal this season, Morgan has given just 16 goals. Her 1.16 goals-against average ranks her third in the conference.

Against the Bison
The Westerwinds lead the series against North Dakota State 1-0-1. Western won the last meeting against the Bison, picking up a 2-0 victory at John MacKenzie Alumni Field 2-0. The two teams battled to a 3-3 draw in 2004. This will be the Westerwinds first trip to Fargo, N.D.

About Creighton
The Blue Jays are 6-6-1 in the 2007 campaign with a 1-1-1 record in Missouri Valley Conference play. Creighton has played two other Summit League teams, losing to North Dakota State (2-3) and beating South Dakota State (2-1).

Junior goalkeeper Marcy Gans leads the Creighton offense in goals (6) and points (14). She is also tied for the team lead in assists with four other players (2). Freshman Emily Orbell is the only other Blue Jay to score multiple goals on the season, finding the back of the net three times.

Junior Kristen Casey anchors the defense, playing all 1,190 minutes this season. She’s allowed 17 goals this year and has made 54 saves. With her four shutouts this season, Casey garners a 1.29 goals-against average.

Against the Blue Jays
Western Illinois trails 0-8-1 in the all-time series against Creighton. The last meeting between the two teams ended in a 1-1 draw in 2005 at John MacKenzie Alumni Field.

On the NCAA Leaderboard
With the two wins last weekend, Western Illinois has moved up to third in the nation in won-lost-tied percentage. Their .885 won-lost-tied percentage has them tied with Western Kentucky and percentage points behind Georgia and James Madison (.893).

The Westerwinds also rank 28th in the nation in shutout percentage (.538) and save percentage (.862). Their .679 team goals-against average ranks them 35th in the nation.

Sophomore goalkeeper Meghan Tyk (Whitefish Bay, Wis./Whitefish Bay) is ranked fourth in the nation in save percentage, saving 90.4 percent of shots this season. Tyk’s goals-against average of .441 that leads the conference also ranks her 11th in the nation.

Live Broadcasts
Both North Dakota State and Creighton will have live broadcasts and live stats of this weekend’s games. Members of Rocky Vision will be able to view the games through Western Illinois’ website. Live stats can be accessed through the Western Illinois women’s soccer schedule page.

Originaly from Source