Kodiak Creative

Men’s Lacrosse to Send Off Seniors in CCIW Bout with Bluejays

Scheduled to start at 12 p.m. inside Tucci Stadium

4/29/2022 12:30:00 PM

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - Already having clinched at least a share of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Regular Season Championship, the Illinois Wesleyan University men's lacrosse team prepares for its last regular season game Saturday, April 30 against Elmhurst University inside Tucci Stadium for Senior Day. The game is set for a 12 p.m. start.

In the NCAA regional rankings the Titans were seeded second in the Region V list, just behind non-conference rival, Hope. Including the Titans, three other CCIW teams were selected in the regional rankings including, Transylvania (third), Carthage (sixth), and Elmhurst (seventh).

The Titans will honor co-captains Rick Smith (Frankfort, Ill.-Lincoln Way East), Daniel Dickerson, (Wheaton, Ill.-St. Francis College), and Zac Taylor (Brighton, Mich.-Brighton), along with classmates Malcolm Hedgepeth (Houston, Texas-The Kinkaid School), Austin Masters (Hawthorn Woods, Ill.-Stevenson), Thomas Laduzinsky (Geneva, Ill.-Wheaton Academy), Paul Mucci (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.-Bloomfield), Charles Hildestad (Carlock, Ill.-St. Viator), Cole Harden (Terrace Park, Ohio.-Mariemont), and Griffin DeMilt (Toledo, Ohio.-Ottawa Hills).

This special group of seniors were a part of the second class to win both the regular season and the conference tournament in 2019. That same season the Titans went 6-0 for the second straight year in conference play and to this day remain undefeated in the league ever since their freshmen seasons. Despite Coivd-19 interrupting the group's sophomore years in 2020, the class bounced back to relentlessly carry over the success from the 2019 season into 2021. Overall, these Titans have been a part of 46 wins out of a total of 56 games for an 0.821 win percentage from 2019-2022.

With one more game remaining in regular season play and a conference tournament run ahead, the 2022 class are currently two-time CCIW Regular Season Champions and two-time CCIW Tournament Champions, making two NCAA appearances, one being a historic Elite Eight showing just last season.

IWU (10-4, 5-0) will welcome the Bluejays (10-5, 2-3) for the 11th all-time meeting Saturday. The Titans hold the all-time series advantage, 9-1 as the Green and White fell in the two teams first-ever game in 2014, but have come out victorious in every meeting since. Most recently the Titans faced Elmhurst twice last season. Once in regular season play, as IWU won 25-16, and again in the CCIW semifinals where the Titans defeated Elmhurst, 23-7.

The Titans, looking to secure another perfect CCIW record, will make it into the CCIW playoffs as the Bluejays are still fighting for a spot in the top four. Carthage has secured a second-place seeding as Elmhurst, Transy, North Central, and Augustana all hold 2-3 CCIW records and fight for the remaining spots.

As a team the Titans lead the conference in almost every offensive category. IWU sits first in goals (105), with the next closest school coming in at 64; goals per game (21.00), points per game (32.00), assists per game (11.00), shots on goal per game (38.20), and man-up scoring percentage (.500). While a threat offensively, the Titans also have a strong defensive showing in the conference, leading the league in goals against average (8.92), second in save percentage (.587), and the only team to record a shutout. IWU also leads the pack in faceoff percentage, 114-54 for a .679 clip, credited to senior Taylor and sophomore-transfer Zo Lombardo (Elgin, Ill.-St. Viator).

Individual standouts in the conference include juniors Carson Kiichle (Vancouver, Wash.-Skyview) and Connor Kiichle (Vancouver, Wash.-Skyview) who rank first and second in points per game with 5.00 and 4.80, respectively. Connor and Carson Kiichle sit second and third in the team in points with 46 (26 goals - 20 assists) and 44 (15 goals - 29 assists), respectively as senior Smith holds a team-high 58 points credited to his 42 goals and 16 assists this season.

Taylor sits second in the conference in ground balls per game (7.40) and Harden ranks ninth in the CCIW in caused turnovers per game (1.40).

The game will be available via live stream and live stats. The live stream can be accessed here and live stats can be found here.

Print Friendly Version