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Rick SMith vs. Aurora
14
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 1-0
7
Colorado Col. CCU 0-1
Winner
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
1-0
14
Final
7
Colorado Col. CCU
0-1
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 5 2 4 3 14
Colorado Col. CCU 1 1 1 4 7

Game Recap: Men's Lacrosse |

Men’s Lacrosse Sees Season Opener Success over No. 7 Colorado College

Laduzinsky sets career-high 18 saves

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The Illinois Wesleyan University men's lacrosse team defeated No. 7 Colorado College, 14-7, in its season opener Saturday, Feb. 12 in Memphis. The win marks the highest ranked team the Titans(1-0) have defeated in program history.

The Green and White were led by senior co-captain Rick Smith (Frankfort, Ill.-Lincoln Way East) who tallied a game-high five goals for five points. Sophomore Gage Black (Peoria, Ill.-Dunlap) contributed just shy of his career-high with three goals, as fellow sophomore Trystan Seeley (Castle Rock, Colo.-Castle View) tied his single game career-high with two goals. 

Senior goalkeeper Thomas Laduzinsky (Geneva, Ill.-Wheaton Academy) aided the Titans to its season opening victory with a career-high 18 saves, blowing out his previous best of 11. The Titans defense, including Laduzinsky, kept the Tigers under double digit goals for the first time since then No. 5 University of Lynchburg beat CC 23-8 April 25, 2021. 

Co-captain Daniel Dickerson (Wheaton, Ill.-St. Francis College) opened up the scoring for the Green and White just 1:20 into the game. The senior capitalized on a CC foul to take the ball straight to the Tigers net. 

Led by Dickerson, the Titans went on a five goal run. Smith beat his defender to net his first goal of the day and the team's fifth to put the Titans up by five with under three minutes remaining in the first 15. Before the end of the first, CC put one in the back of the Titans net ending the quarter 5-1, in favor of IWU. 

Chances went back and forth in the start of the second until Black widened the gap between the Titans and Tigers half way through the quarter. The sophomore scored his second goal of the day to put the Green and White up 6-1. Both teams packed on an additional goal to end the half 7-2. 

Despite being outshot in the third quarter, the Titans tallied on an additional four goals to the Tigers one. Junior Carson Kiichle (Vancouver, Wash.-Skyview) kicked off the scoring in the quarter with his first goal of the season. Smith and Black continued to be an offensive threat as Black sandwiched the Titans 10th goal in between two Smith goals. CC managed to get a last minute chance as the Titans went into the last quarter up 11-3. 

In the final 15 of the game, Colorado College spent more time in the Titans attacking third, outscoring the Green and White 4-3 in the last quarter alone. 

Junior Connor Kiichle (Vancouver, Wash.-Skyview) grabbed his first goal of the game and season. Shortly followed by Seeley, who after being pushed to the ground to draw out a flag from the ref, went top mesh and widened the lead 13-3 with just over 12 minutes to go. 

Up 14-4 and with six minutes remaining, Smith scored his fifth and Titans' final goal of the day as an answer to a Tiger goal. In hopes of a last minute push, Colorado College tallied three unanswered goals all within 42 seconds of one another. The deficit was too much for the Tigers as the Titans claimed the 14-7 victory. 

IWU has a quick turnaround as they play Rhodes College tomorrow, Sunday Feb. 13 for a 1:30 p.m. start time. The live stream and live stats can be found on the IWU men's lacrosse schedule page. 
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