BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan men's soccer team fell to North Park University on Wednesday, Oct. 5 by a final score of 2-1. Junior defender Tom Nie scored the Titans lone goal of the contest, his first of the season.

With a loss the Titans fall to 5-5-1 and 1-1 in the CCIW while North Park, who are receiving votes in the latest d3soccer.com poll, improves to 8-2-1 and 4-0-0 in CCIW action.

Both teams got started quickly on the offensive side of the ball, scoring in the first fifteen minutes of the match. After a penalty in the box, North Park's Gianfranco DeCarne scored his fourth goal of the season off a PK. The Titans weren't down for long however, in the 13th minute freshman Konrad Wasilewski assisted on Nie's first goal of the year. in doing so Wasilewski tallied the first assist of his career. In total, IWU placed four shots on goal in the first half to put major pressure on the Vikings goalkeeper.

Each sides offense slowed down in the second half with North Park taking a 2-0 shots on goal advantage. The Vikings defense turned things up a notch to prevent the Titans from placing a shot on target all half. North Park secured the game-winning goal in the 63rd minute off a high-arcing shot off the foot of DeCarne for his fifth goal of the season and first career brace.

Sophomore Eddie Sanchez and freshman Alex Ruckstaetter each played 45 minutes in goal on Wednesday. Both keepers allowed a goal with Ruckstaetter making the Titans lone save of the evening.

What's Next?
The Titans face Elmhurst College on Saturday, Oct. 8 for the first road match of their CCIW schedule. The Bluejays boast a record of 6-3-3 with a 1-1-1 record in conference play. Kick-off is set for 5:15 p.m. at Langhorst Field.