INDIANAPOLIS – After back-to-back Horizon League contests, the IU Indianapolis men's soccer team has a mid-week non-conference clash against Western Illinois on Tuesday (Sept. 24) at Michael A. Carroll stadium. The Jaguars return to league play later in the week when they travel to Oakland on Saturday (Sept. 28). Both matches will be streamed on ESPN+.

IU Indy (3-3-1, 0-2) is coming off back-to-back losses for the first time this season and will look to return to its winning ways against a scorching hot Western Illinois side. The Leathernecks (4-3-1, 0-0 OVC) travel to Indy for the second time this season—drawing 1-1 against Butler last month—having won four of their last five, most recently defeating Northern Illinois, 4-0, on Friday (Sept. 20). Before that, the WIU earned its first non-conference road victory since 2018 taking down Gonzaga, 3-2, just over a week ago.

Eight different players have scored for the Leathernecks, led by Xavier Gagnon and Liam Gainey who each have tallied on three different occasions. Gagnon also has a team-high three assists, but is followed closely by Gainey, Oskar Grevelius and Tyler Philpott who each have three, with the later two also having scored a goal apiece. Jimmy Baars and Ty Duax are tied for third in scoring, each having two tallies on the year. Three different players have played in goal, with Micah Ramirez earning the lion's share of the minutes. Alexis Michaud, however, has been impressive as of late, making three saves in 45 minutes against Gonzaga and earning the win while playing all 90 minutes against Northern Illinois where he made seven saves and shutout the Huskies.

The contest marks the 28^th all-time meeting between the sides, with the Jaguars holding a 12-11 edge over the Leathernecks in a series that has also featured four draws. The Jags have won two of the last three meetings with the third being a 3-3 draw in 2022.

After the quick one-game break from Horizon League play, the team will travel to Oakland to take on the Golden Grizzlies (3-4-1, 1-0-1) who have also heated up after losing its first four matches of the year. The win streak started with a 3-0 dismantling of Michigan State before opening conference play with a 2-1 victory against Cleveland State. The Grizzlies then earned a 2-1 non-conference win over Loyola Chicago before garnering a point in a 1-1 draw at Northern Kentucky to remain undefeated and tied for second place up to this point in the Horizon League.

Oakland's tandem of Jack Klomparens and Lejs Plicanic lead the way offensively, each tallying three goals, with the former also registering an assist. Andrew Darakdijan is the main playmaker, recording a team-high three assists to go along with a goal. Alex Flowers, Oakland's No.1 keeper, has been solid between the pipes, stopping 32 shots while boasting a 1.29 goals against average.

The conference clash will also be the 28^th all-time meeting between the schools, with contests occurring each year from '98 to 2012 as Summit League foes and since 2017 when the Jaguars joined the Horizon League. The Golden Grizzlies hold an 18-8-1 edge in the series, but the Jaguars have won the past two meetings.