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Perchik celebration
3
Ill. Wesleyan IWU (5-6-4, 3-3-2)
3
Wheaton (IL) WHEIL (11-5-2, 6-1-1)
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
(5-6-4, 3-3-2)
3
Final
3
Wheaton (IL) WHEIL
(11-5-2, 6-1-1)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 OT 1 OT 2 OT 3 F
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 2 1 0 0 0 3
Wheaton (IL) WHEIL 1 2 0 0 0 3

Game Recap: Men's Soccer |

Men’s Soccer Advances to Championship

IWU takes trek to Kenosha, Wis. Saturday Nov. 4

WHEATON, Ill. -  After battling its second double-overtime match in the CCIW Tournament, the Illinois Wesleyan University men's soccer team advances past No. 2 seed Wheaton College Wednesday, Nov. 1 in a 7-6 penalty kick shootout following a 3-3 tie in regulation. The Titans will face Carthage College in the CCIW Championship match Saturday, Nov. 4 in Kenosha, Wis.

IWU faced a tough challenge Wednesday evening as the Titans trailed in shots 29-15 and found only one corner kick opportunity to Wheaton's 10. Sophomore goalkeeper Sam Kedzior (Cary, Ill.-Cary Grove) recorded 10 saves on the evening while Wheaton's keeper totaled five. 

The first half was action packed with the Titans catching an early lead. Only two minutes into the game, junior Jerry Smazil (Downers Grove, Ill.-Downers Grove South) made a pass to freshman Matthew Perchik (Glenview, Ill.-New Trier) to find the back of the net just past the goalie's fingertips. A second goal came for the Titans just two minutes later when it was tipped off a Wheaton defender to put the Titans up 2-nil. The Thunder came back to score in the 23rd minute to finish the half 2-1. 

Wheaton came out of halftime ready, scoring within the first five minutes of the second half to tie the game 2-2. In the 74th minute, the Thunder scored their third goal of the game to put Wheaton up 3-2 but the Titans answered back just five minutes later as Sasha Tylnyy (Wheeling, Ill.-Buffalo Grove) scored the tying goal off an assist from Declan Nugent (Naperville, Ill.-Neuqua Valley) to head into overtime with the Thunder.

In both 10 minute overtimes, neither the Titans or the Thunder scored, sending the teams into a penalty kick shootout. The Green and White started the kickoff and after eight rounds, the Titans won 7-6 in PKs to advance to the CCIW Championships. Kedzior notched crucial saves while senior Davis Quarles' (Naperville, Ill.-Metea Valley) final penalty kick helped the Titans to end the game.

The Titans will contend in the CCIW Championship match for the first time since 2019 as they head to Kenosha, Wis. Saturday, Nov. 4 to take on No. 4 seed Carthage.
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