Soccer Begins #MACtion Against West Division Foes

Soccer at Western Michigan \| Soccer at Northern Illinois
Date	Friday, Sept. 23 - 4 p.m. \| Sunday, Sept. 25 - 2 p.m.
Location	Ypsilanti, Mich. \| Scicluna Field
Game Notes	EMU Notes
Live Stats	vs. WMU \| vs. NIU
Live Stream	Not Available vs. WMU \| vs. Northern Illinois ($)
Twitter	@EMUSoccer \| @EMUAthletics

KALAMAZOO, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) - Hitting the road for the first time in three weeks, the Eastern Michigan University soccer team travels to Kalamazoo, Mich. to open Mid-American Conference play, Sept. 23. Following their league opener versus Western Michigan University, the Eagles trek further west to DeKalb, Ill. for a Sunday showdown versus the Huskies of Northern Illinois, Sept. 25.
   Fans can follow live stats for the matches through links on the EMUEagles.com schedule page. Additionally, the Eagles match versus Northern Illinois, Sept. 25, will be streamed via NIU All-Access for a $6.95 fee.

ALL-TIME SERIES: Eastern Michigan holds a 25-15-7 record against this weekend's opponents all-time. The Eagles are 11-11-4 against Western Michigan, while the Green and White lead the all-time series versus the Huskies, 14-4-3.
   Eastern dropped a 1-nil match to the Broncos in last season's meeting at Scicluna Field. WMU fired off 21 shots to the Eagles' eight, eventually scoring the game-winner in the 57th minute. Then-freshman goalkeeper Kaylin Williams made seven saves in the loss.
   Like this season, EMU clashed with the Huskies two days after its match with Western Michigan, coming away with a 1-1 draw. The Green and White erupted for 24 shots, putting 14 on frame in the contest. NIU scored a goal in the fifth minute to take an early lead before the Eagles tied it at one with a goal from Kristin Nason. The Eagles had every chance to win the match, garnering eight corner kicks, but 10 offsides calls kept them from gaining any momentum.

BREAKING DOWN THE BRONCOS: The Broncos enter the conference season with a 6-2-0 record after picking up wins over Fort Wayne, Indiana, Oakland, Western Illinois, Loyola Chicago, and Valparaiso. Most recently, WMU fell to DePaul, 3-1, in Kalamazoo.
   Western Michigan boasts one of the top attacks in the league, averaging 1.63 goals per game on 16.1 shots per contest. The Broncos have out-shot opponents, 129-87, in non-conference play. Mackenzie Barber is the team's goal-scoring leader with three in 2016, while she also leads the squad with seven points. Candice Uhl and Kendall Juhnke have added two goals each, and six other players have found the back of the net this season.
   Defensively, the Broncos are allowing 1.25 goals per game and have posted three shutouts this season. Stephanie Heber has been the lone keeper used for WMU this season and has allowed 10 goals while making 26 saves on 88 shots faced. Heber owns a 1.24 goals against average and a save percentage of .722.

HUNTING THE HUSKIES: Northern Illinois heads into league play with a 1-4-2 overall record. The Huskies open the conference slate against Central Michigan, Sept. 23, before hosting EMU, Sept. 25.
   NIU has struggled to score goals throughout its first seven games this season, having found the back of the net just twice. The Huskies have been shutout five times this season, two of which resulted in scoreless draws. Northern Illinois averages a league-low 0.29 goals per game while also ranking last in the league in shots per game (5.0). Taylor Sarver has scored both of the teams goals this season, and leads the Huskies with four points.
   Despite scoring difficulties, NIU has found success defensively through the solid play of Amy Annala. Annala has started and played in all but one match for the Huskies. She owns a 0.93 goals against average, along with a .842 save percentage. Additionally, Annala has racked up 32 saves on 72 shots faced and has allowed just six goals.

LEAGUE GAMES ALL-TIME: Since beginning play in the MAC during the 1997 season, the Eagles are 118-70-27 in conference matches. EMU has been most successful against Northern Illinois (14-4-3), but also holds winning records over Akron (10-3-2), Bowling Green (13-9-1), Buffalo (10-6-5), Central Michigan (12-4-3), Kent State (12-9-0), Ohio (12-7-4), and Toledo (11-11-4). Meanwhile, the series with the Eagles and Western Michigan (11-11-4) and Miami (11-11-1) are tied. The only team in the conference that EMU trails in the all-time series against is Ball State (7-8-2).

STREAKING INTO THE RECORD BOOKS: With a goal in EMU's loss to Illinois State, Sept. 16, redshirt senior Ellie Tillar became the first Eagle since 2013 to score a goal in three consecutive matches. Additionally, Tillar tied a career-high, netting her team-leading third goal of the season, while pushing her career total to seven. The Cincinnati, Ohio product closed out the weekend with an assist on Madison Hirsch's first half strike versus Detroit, Sept. 18, registering a point for the fourth consecutive match, becoming the first Eagle to accomplish the feat since Angela Vultaggio did so during the 2013 campaign, and just the 18th Eagle all-time to do so.

LOOKING AHEAD: A two-game road trip is followed up by a weekend at home for the Eagles, Sept. 30-Oct. 2. EMU hosts Ball State and Miami at Scicluna Field in the second week of conference play. The Eagles take on the Cardinals, Sept. 30, at 5 p.m. before taking on Miami, Oct. 2, at 1 p.m. in a MAC crossover match.

CLIMBING THE CHARTS: After leading the Eagles with five assists a season ago, Rachel Washburn became the 18th player in program history to record double-digit assists with a helper in EMU's 1-1 draw, Sept. 4. With her team trailing 1-nil, Washburn sent a free kick into the box where senior Ellie Tillar put it away to tie the score. The Green and White are 7-2-2 all-time when Washburn tallies an assist. Additionally, the Hartland, Mich. product has assisted on goals by seven different players. Washburn's career assist total currently sits at 11 and ranks tied for 12th all-time in EMU laurels.

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Players Mentioned

Madison Hirsch

Kristin Hullibarger

Ellie Tillar

Rachel Washburn

Kaylin Williams

Eastern Michigan Athletics