Men’s Lacrosse Sets Sights on Spartans for Non-Conference Finale
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – The Illinois Wesleyan University men’s lacrosse team continues its roadtrip Wednesday night, March 29, with a 7 p.m. game at Aurora University. The Titans, winners of their last two, enter the bout with a 5-3 record, with the Spartans sitting at 4-3.
IWU completed a 2-0 week Saturday, March 25, with a 17-5 dismantling of Dubuque. The win came just a few days after a 20-14 win over Hope, March 22. Aurora saw a two-game win streak snapped Thursday, March 23, with a tight 13-12 setback at North Central.
The Titans and Spartans are no strangers, having met every season since 2015. After Aurora won the first three meetings and four of the first five, Illinois Wesleyan has won the past four tilts to take control of the series, 5-4. The series is even at 2-2 when playing in Aurora, Ill. IWU most recently ran away with a 19-10 win over AU, April 2, 2022 as the Titans outscored the Spartans, 10-4, over the final two quarters.
Illinois Wesleyan has seen a balanced offensive attack result in six players scoring double-digit goals through the team’s first eight games. Junior Ike Eastman (Colorado Springs, Colo.-Cheyenne Mountain) tops the team with 21 goals, with senior Connor Kiichle (Vancouver, Wash.-Skyview) second with 18. Senior Carson Kiichle (Vancouver, Wash.-Skyview) and junior Gage Black (Peoria, Ill.-Dunlap) have 17 goals apiece, while juniors Trystan Seeley (Castle Rock, Colo.-Castle View) and Bob Boone (San Diego, Calif.-Notre Dame) have added 14 and 12, respectively. Carson Kiichle is the team leader in assists with 22, and has compiled a team-high 39 points on the season.
Sophomore Nick Schroeder (Waunakee, Wis.-Waunakee) has been strong at the X for the Titans, going 101-for-134 for a .754 clip. He also paces the Green and White with 54 ground balls, followed by Carson Kiichle with 31. Senior Blake Muschewske (Excelsior, Minn.-Holy Family Catholic) is the team leader with 13 caused turnovers, while also having 17 ground balls to her credit. Junior Michael Campagna (Arlington Heights, Ill.-St. Viator) is third on the team in ground balls (29) and second in caused turnovers (12).
In goal, sophomoreColin Tervo (West Linn, Ore.-West Linn) and junior Alex Oximana (Seattle, Wash.-Bishop Blanchet) have held down the defensive end. Tervo leads the team with 72 saves on a .507 save percentage with a 5-2 record, while Oximana has tallied 19 saves.
Illinois Wesleyan and Aurora get rolling at 7 p.m. tomorrow, March 29. Links to live stats and a live stream of the game can be found on the men’s lacrosse schedule page of iwusports.com.
