Soccer Game Preview: West Branch vs. Salem

The West Branch Warriors are taking a road trip to challenge the Salem Quakers at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. West Branch is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 3.5 goals per game this season.

West Branch is probably headed into the match with a chip on their shoulder considering Cardinal Mooney just ended the team's three-match winning streak on Thursday. They fell just short of the Cardinals by a score of 3-2.

Cruz Leone and Reed Martucci scored both of West Branch's goals, bringing their combined season tally to 14 goals.

Meanwhile, after failing to score in their last matchup, Salem made sure to put some goals up on the board against Lakeview on Saturday. They were the clear victors by an 8-1 margin over the Bulldogs. The result was nothing new for Salem, who have now won six contests by three goals or more so far this season.

Salem's win was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 9-2-2. The road victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they scored 35 goals over those four matches. As for West Branch, their defeat dropped their record down to 9-3.

West Branch beat Salem 4-2 when the teams last played back in October of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Warriors since the team won't have the home-pitch advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.