Men’s Lacrosse Hosts Carthage for Senior Day Showdown
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – With a share of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Championship already clinched, the Illinois Wesleyan University men’s lacrosse team will host Carthage College for a chance to win the title outright Saturday, April 29. The match will serve as senior day for the Titans (11-3, 5-0 CCIW), who will honor nine seniors prior to the start of the match.
Illinois Wesleyan enters the contest riding an eight-game win streak, with the most recent victory coming in a double overtime, 15-14, thriller over North Central College Wednesday night, April 26. Senior Connor Kiichle (Vancouver, Wash.-Skyview) led the match with four goals, while junior Bob Boone posted a pair of goals and assists to also secure a four point match. Juniors Gage Black (Peoria, Ill.-Dunlap) and Trystan Seeley (Castle Rock, Colo.-Castle View) each notched a hat trick. Seeley recorded the game-tying and game-winning goal for the Titans.
Carthage (11-4, 3-2 CCIW) enters the match off a 21-2 win over Carroll University Wednesday, April 26. This will mark the 12th battle between the Titans and Firebirds, with IWU holding a slim, 6-5, advantage, having won the last six contests. The teams last faced off April 9, 2022, with the Green and White taking a 24-8 road victory. Black and Boone led the Titans with four goals each, while senior Carson Kiichle (Vancouver, Wash.-Skyview) led the team with seven points on one goal and six assists.
As a team, Illinois Wesleyan’s 26.14 points per game average currently sits 21st in the nation. The Titan offense has seen a dominant performance from the Kiichle brothers, as Carson Kiichle leads the team with 69 points on 29 goals and 40 assists, while Connor Kiichle has 33 goals and 24 assists for 57 points. Carson Kiichle’s 2.86 assists per game average is the 5th highest nationwide and leads the CCIW. Junior Ike Eastburn (Colorado Springs, Colo.-Cheyenne Mountain), who leads the Green and White with 40 goals, has efficiently scored all season. His .580 shot percentage is the fourth-highest nationally.
Defensively, the Titans are led by junior Michael Campagna (Arlington Heights, Ill.-Saint Viator) and senior Blake Muschewske (Excelsior, Minn.-Holy Family Catholic) with 23 and 21 caused turnovers, respectively. Sophomore Nick Schroeder (Waunakee, Wis.-Waunakee West) leads the team with 87 ground balls. His 8.70 ground balls per game average is third-best in the conference. Campagna has scooped up 48, while Carson Kiichle has been credited with 44.
At the X, Schroeder enters Saturday having gone 160-for-235 for a .681 win percentage. Junior Zo Lombardo (Elgin, Ill.-Saint Viator) is 53-for-111, while freshman Michael Rocco (Libertyville, Ill.-Libertyville) sits at 51-for-79 for IWU. As a team, the Green and White rank 28th nationally with a .618 faceoff win percentage.
In between the posts, sophomore Colin Tervo (West Linn, Ore.-West Linn) leads the team with 507:37 minutes logged. In that time, Tervo has posted 103 saves on a .523 save percentage en route to an 8-2 record. Junior Alex Oximana (Seattle, Wash.-Bishop Blanchet) has spent 244:13 minutes in goal, having recorded 52 saves on a .542 clip.
A link to the live stream and live stats can be found under the men’s lacrosse schedule page on iwusports.com.
