Nathan Heyen Against Aurora - Sept. 10, 2022

Men’s Soccer Commences Upon CCIW Play with Clash Against Carthage

Kickoff slated for 7:30 p.m.

9/23/2022 12:00:00 PM

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - With seven non-conference matchups complete, the Illinois Wesleyan University men's soccer team is set to begin College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin play against Carthage College, Saturday evening, Sept. 24, with a 7:30 p.m. kickoff in Kenosha, Wis. The match will serve as the backend of a double dip with the women's soccer team, which is set for a 5 p.m. game.

Entering the CCIW opener, the Green and White own a record of 3-3-1, while the Firebirds sit at 2-4-1. In the conference office preseason poll that was released last month, Carthage was predicted to finish in fourth (43 points), just one slot above the Titans, who placed fifth (35 points) in the poll.

This new chapter in the two team's rivalry will mark the 30th all-time meeting. Carthage has seen success against the Titans, earning a 21-7-1 all-time record against IWU that dates back to the 1995 campaign. The last meeting between these two foes took place on Oct. 30 of last year that saw two first half Firebird goals, to defeat the Titans by a final score of 2-0. The Green and White most recently defeated CC Oct. 19, 2019 with a 3-0 tally.

IWU last took to the pitch Tuesday, Sept. 20 against WashU at the historic Francis Olympic Field in St. Louis. The Bears scored two second half goals to come out victorious with the 2-0 decision. WashU earned a commanding 9-3 advantage in corner chances in the contest. This match marked the second consecutive game in which the Titans have failed to score.

On the other hand, Carthage took on Hope College, Wednesday, Sept. 21. A Hope goal in the 30th minute propelled the Flying Dutch to secure the team's first victory, with a 1-0 final score, on the year. Hope tallied 17 shots in the contest, compared to the Firebirds 14.

For the year, IWU has racked up 13 goals (six of them coming against Monmouth), compared to its opponents 14 goals. The Green and White are averaging 11.7 shots per game, while its competitors are notching 16.3 shots per game.

In the CCIW rankings, junior Gavin Smith (Seattle, Wash.-Eastside Preparatory School) checks in at sixth place with his 2.33 shots per game clip. Smith is also in a tie for fourth with his one game-winning goal against Aurora on Sept. 10.

Junior Sasha Tylnyy (Wheeling, Ill.-Buffalo Grove) has accumulated three goals thus far this year. The Wheeling, Ill. native ranks tied for fifth in the CCIW, just two behind the league leaders, who have tallied five goals.

Sophomore Spencer Fulton (Bloomington, Ill.-Normal Community) sits in fifth-place with his 3.33 saves per contest average. The Bloomington, Ill. native has notched a .667 save percentage, good for sixth-best in the CCIW.

Live stats for the CCIW clash can be found here, while a live video can be accessed here.

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