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MLAX | IWU vs Whittier
Kodiak Creative
17
Whittier WHITTIER 8-5
18
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 10-4, 5-0 CCIW
Whittier WHITTIER
8-5
17
Final
18
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
10-4, 5-0 CCIW
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 OT F
Whittier WHITTIER 5 2 4 6 0 17
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 1 3 7 6 1 18

Game Recap: Men's Lacrosse |

Men’s Lacrosse Brings the Ruckus in OT Win Over Whittier

DeMilt scores goal late in regulation to send game to OT, then scores game-winner

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan University men's lacrosse team ran its win streak to seven with a thrilling come-from-behind overtime win over Whittier College Sunday, April 24, inside Tucci Stadium. The Titans (10-4) overcame a four-goal deficit twice to take the non-conference bout over the Poets (8-5) by a score of 18-17. 

Illinois Wesleyan raced out to a lead by sophomore Ethan Hart (Littleton, Colo.-J.K. Mullen) less than two minutes into the game, but Whittier fired back with a five-goal run to take a 5-1 lead into the second period.

The Titan attack got back on track as juniors Carson Kiichle (Vancouver, Wash.-Skyview) and Connor Kiichle (Vancouver, Wash.-Skyview) teammed up for a goal. Carson Kiichle fed Connor Kiichle for the man-up goal at the 13:58 mark, before finding senior Paul Mucci (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.-Bloomfield) for another. After entering the IWU attacking third, Carson Kiichle fed Mucci on the trail to pull the Titans within two, 5-3. 

Trailing 7-4 coming out of halftime, sophomore Gage Black (Peoria, Ill.-Dunlap) posted back-to-back goals 33 seconds apart to trim the deficit to 7-6 with 13:12 to play in the third. 

Senior Zac Taylor (Brighton, Mich.-Brighton) won the ensuing faceoff and set up senior Daniel Dickerson (Wheaton, Ill.-St. Francis) for a rip to knot the game at 7-7 with 13:04 on the clock. 

Whittier came back with two goals to reclaim the lead, but senior Rick Smith (Frankfort, Ill.-Lincoln Way East) net two goals and Carson Kiichle and Black tallied one apiece to send the game into the fourth even, 11-11.

The Poets jolted ahead with a four-goal run to take a 16-12 lead with 9:37 remaining in regulation. Mucci then scored his second goal of the day, but Whittier answered to maintain a four-goal cushion, 17-13, with 5:16 left on the clock.

DeMilt got the Titans going from there, as he found Connor Kiichle for a goal at the 4:55 mark and then again at the 2:24 mark to cut the deficit in half, 17-15. 

After a huge save from sophomore Alex Oximana (Seattle, Wash.-Bishop Blanchet), Connor Kiichle scored the game's third straight goal with 48 seconds to play to pull IWU within one, 17-16. 

Illinois Wesleyan ended up with possession following the next faceoff and quickly made the most of the opportunity as DeMilt buried a shot to tie the score, 17-17, with 28 seconds to go and sent the game to extra time. 

Overtime was short lived as Taylor won another faceoff and raced down to find DeMilt, who scored his third goal of the afternoon to secure the 18-17 OT victory.

Defensively, Oximana made a career-high 15 saves in net. Dickerson and fellow seniors Malcolm Hedgepeth (Houston, Texas-The Kinkaid School) and Cole Harden (Terra Park, Ohio-Mariemont) finished with two caused turnovers apiece. Junior Ryan Payne (Mercer Island, Wash.-Mercer Island) notched four ground balls, while Dickerson and Hart picked up three each.

Connor Kiichle scored a game-high five goals and added an assist en route to a six-point day, while DeMilt's six points came via a hat trick and three assists. Carson Kiichle also tied for the game-high with six points, scoring one goal and tallying a game-high five helpers.

The Titans wrap up regular season play Saturday, April 30, with a College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin showdown with Elmhurst University. Game time is set for 12 p.m. and will serve as IWU's Senior Day.

 
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