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Men’s Lacrosse Prevails in OT Thriller at Transy

Smith nets 150th career-goal

3/26/2022 4:29:00 PM

Box Score

LEXINGTON, Ky. - The Illinois Wesleyan University men's lacrosse team began College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin play with a win against Transylvania University Saturday, March 26. The Titans (4-4, 1-0) outlasted Transy (5-3, 0-1) for an exciting 18-17 overtime win in Lexington, Ky. The Titan senior class has now won every CCIW opener in their careers.

In an almost even statistical game that saw TU outshoot IWU 63-61, the Titans found a way to fight from behind to pull out the win. Junior Carson Kiichle (Vancouver, Wash.-Skyview) led the Titans in points with three goals and three assists for a six-point day as sophomore Gage Black (Peoria, Ill.-Dunlap) led in goals with four.

Senior faceoff specialist, Zac Taylor (Brighton, Mich.-Brighton) put the Titans up 1-0 off the opening faceoff. Taylor won his own faceoff and ran past the Transy defense, beating TU's keeper to put IWU up 1-0. The Transylvania offense quickly responded with a goal of its own in addition to an extra goal to take the lead 2-1.

In back and forth action, the Titans and Pioneers traded off goals which ended the first quarter in favor of TU, 5-4. Junior Connor Kiichle (Vancouver, Wash.-Skyview), Black, and senior Paul Mucci (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.-Bloomfield) each net one goal a piece in the opening 15.

In the second quarter, Tranyslavina's attack separated themselves from the Titans, putting up seven goals to IWU's four. TU opened the quarter with a goal, widening the lead to 6-4, but goals from sophomore Trystan Seeley (Castle Rock, Colo.-Castle View) and senior Rick Smith (Frankfort, Ill.-Lincoln Way East) kept the Pioneers in check and tied the game, 6-6. Smith not only scored the Titans' sixth goal of the game but scored the 150th of his career.

With 8:30 to go in the second quarter, Transy secured two more goals for a two-goal lead, 8-6. Black picked up a bouncing ball where he went one-on-one to beat his defender and pulled the Titans within one, 8-7.

IWU came out of the half trailing 12-8, but managed to close the gap to two. Seeley scored his second of the day and senior Daniel Dickerson (Wheaton, Ill.-St. Francis College) net his first with 13:24 to go as IWU trailed 12-10.

Transy went on a three-goal run creating its largest lead, 15-10, with 6:44 remaining. It was not until Carson Kiichle ended Transy's run with 3:57 to go. Smith also joined in with a goal of his own as 1:20 remained on the clock. Carson Kiichle and Smith put the Titans within three, ending the third quarter 15-12.

In the final 15, Transy went up 16-12 at the 14:39 mark. IWU continued to apply the pressure and went on to score three goals of its own. Black net back-to-back goals within 35 seconds of one another, before senior Charles Hildestad (Carlock, Ill.-St. Viator) jumped in on the fun to pull the Titans back within one, 16-15, with 9:06 remaining.

With 1:08 left Transy net another goal, to charge ahead 17-15 as TU called a timeout. Carson Kiichle came up huge, as he grabbed back-to-back goals and tied the game at 17 with three seconds remaining in regulation and force OT.

A save by senior Thomas Laduzinsky (Geneva, Ill.-Wheaton Academy) gave IWU its first possession in overtime. After a timeout by the Titans, the Green and White kept the ball in TU's defensive half. Transy got another opportunity which was stopped and in turn led to another Titan attack. Connor Kiichle ran with the ball from behind the net, and found an opening and put away the golden goal for the Titans as IWU headed home with a 18-17 win.

IWU returns to Bloomington for a home game against Aurora University Saturday, April 2. The game, which is set for a 3:30 p.m. start inside Tucci Stadium, will be part of full day of Titan athletics supporting St. Jude.

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