MACOMB, Ill. – The Western Illinois men’s soccer continues its postseason run with a match against No. 24 Drake in the first round of the NCAA College Cup at 7 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 19 in Des Moines, Iowa.

The Fighting Leathernecks (8-9-2, 3-2-1 Summit League) won their fourth Summit League Tournament title with a 1-0 win over UMKC on Nov. 15. The victory marked Western's fourth league tournament title in the last six years and earned the team a spot in the 2009 NCAA College Cup. Western Illinois enters Thursday's match with a record of 4-0-1 in its last five matches and will look to win its first NCAA Tournament win in school history against the 24th ranked Bulldogs.

Drake (13-6-2, 6-3-1 Missouri Valley) clinched an automatic berth in the College Cup with a 2-1 win over Evansville in the finals of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, Nov. 15. The Bulldogs finished the season ranked 24th in the nation and went 3-1-1 in their final five matches, including wins over Eastern Illinois and Creighton. Drake is appearing in its second College Cup in school history.

The Bulldogs and Leathernecks met during the regular season. Western lost to then No. 22 Drake by a 1-0 score, Oct. 7.

The Matchup
Who: Western Illinois (8-9-2, 3-2-1) vs. Drake (13-6-2, 6-3-1)
When: Thursday, Nov. 19 at 7 p.m.
Location: Des Moines, Iowa
Stadium: Cownie Soccer Complex (2,000)
Series History: Western Illinois trails 7-12-0
Last Meeting: Drake won, 1-0, in Macomb (10/7/09)

Coverage
Drake will provide live stats for Thursday's game which can be accessed by clicking HERE prior to the start of the match.

Scouting Report

Leading the Leathernecks
Western Illinois is led on offense by senior Martin Browne, Jr., who has tallied 12 points on six goals this season. Browne, Jr. has had three games this season in which he has scored two goals. 2009 marks the second straight season in which he has hit the double-digit mark in total points. Browne, Jr. was named as The Summit League Offensive Player of the Week for the week of Nov. 2 and is currently tied for eighth place in school history with 65 career points. Browne, Jr. was selected to the all-conference second team this season.

The Leathernecks have also received an offensive boost from redshirt-freshman Nathan Bruinsma. Bruinsma ranks second on the team with ten points on three goals and four assists this season. Oskar Gasecki has scored three goals this season, including the game-winner over UMKC in The Summit League Tournament Championship match. Gasecki was selected to the all-conference second team and all-Newcomer team this season.

Western has had a total of 10 different players score a goal this season.

On defense, Western Illinois is led by senior goalkeeper Stephen Paterson. The Thunder Bay, Ontario, native has compiled a record of 6-8-2 with four shutouts, a 1.28 goals against average and a .786 save percentage this season. Paterson was named as The Summit League Tournament MVP after recording two shutouts against IUPUI and UMKC to help lead the Leathernecks to the conference title. He was named as The Summit League Defensive Player of the Week twice this season (Oct. 12 and Nov. 9) and is the school's all-time leader in career shutouts with 24. He was also named as a second-team all-conference selection.

Scouting the Bulldogs
Drake enters Thursday's match on a four-game unbeaten streak. The Bulldogs defeated Creighton and Evansville in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament and also defeated Eastern Illinois on Nov. 4.

On offense, the Bulldogs are led by Garrett Webb, who has tallied 26 points on 11 goals and four assists this season. Webb led the Missouri Valley Conference in goals and total points this season. He was named as the league's Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 28 and was also named as a first-team all-conference selection for the third time in his career.

Drake has had a total of seven players tally double-digits in points on the season. Matt Kuhn ranks second on the team with 15 points on four goals and seven assists while Kevin Shrout ranks third with 12 points on three goals and six assists. Shrout scored the game-winning goal on a penalty kick against the Leathernecks earlier this season.

Defensively, the Bulldogs are led by goalkeeper Michael Drozd who finished the season with an 11-5-2 record. The 2009 season marked the second straight season in which the junior goalkeeper has recorded 10 or more wins. Drozd posted a 1.19 goals against average and a .747 save percentage with five shutouts this season and made four saves in the Bulldogs' 1-0 win over Western earlier this year.

Next Up
The winner of Friday’s match will face the fourth-seeded Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus, Ohio, at 11 a.m., Sunday, Nov. 22. The Buckeyes won the Big Ten Tournament title over Penn State and finished the season ranked No. 13 in the nation.