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Kamau kicking
1
Ill. Wesleyan ILL. WES (0-0-1)
1
Kalamazoo KALAMAZO (0-0-1)
Ill. Wesleyan ILL. WES
(0-0-1)
1
Final
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Kalamazoo KALAMAZO
(0-0-1)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Ill. Wesleyan ILL. WES 0 1 1
Kalamazoo KALAMAZO 1 0 1

Game Recap: Men's Soccer |

Men’s Soccer Battles to Draw at Kalamazoo

Kamau nets game-tying goal late

KALAMAZOO, Mich. - A late strike sealed a draw for the Illinois Wesleyan University men's soccer team at Kalamazoo College Friday afternoon, August 30. The Titans (0-0-1) battled back from an early one-goal deficit and weathered a lengthy lightning delay before leaving Michigan with a 1-1 draw against the Hornets (0-0-1) in their season opener.

Despite the Titans leading in first-half shots 7-3, the Hornets got a lucky strike to take the lead four minutes in. The game's first corner, garnered by Kalamazoo, was deflected out to give the Hornets another try. Playing the ball short, Jaden Buist tucked a shot inside the far post that just barely crossed over the line despite a diving save attempt from a Titan defender. 

Trailing 1-nil, Illinois Wesleyan tested the Kalamazoo defense often for the remaining 40 minutes of the half. IWU's best chance of the half came in the 40th minute as a corner saw freshman Elsworth McIntosh's (Lake in the Hills, Ill.-Harry D. Jacobs) header stopped by the crossbar. Illinois Wesleyan put a flick on the rebound but it was saved before another followup clinked off the crossbar and a fourth attempt soared off frame to maintain the one-goal deficit.

Junior goalkeeper Sam Kedzior (Cary, Ill.-Cary Grove) ended the half with one save on two shots on goal. 

Five minutes into the second half, the game came to a halt for a lightning delay that lasted about an hour. The Titans had a solid chance at a goal at the 60 minute mark with a pass from senior Logan Tierney (Bloomington, Ill.-Normal Community) to sophomore Faheem Mujahid (Saint Robert, Mo.-Waynesville) shooting just wide to barely miss the equalizer. 

Illinois Wesleyan used a set piece to get another great look on goal, as a corner service delivered to the center of the box was headed on frame, but ultimately denied by a diving save.

In the 80th minute of the game, the Green and White received a free kick after a foul and sent senior Mush Bakirdan (Morton, Ill.-Morton) to take the free kick. Booting it straight into the middle box, the ball found junior Kalabi Kamau (Alpharetta, Ga.-Marist School), who net the goal and leveled the score at 1-1.

IWU continued to test the Kalamazoo back line, but the game ended in a 1-1 draw. The Titans took 17 shots in all, while the Hornets mustered six. Kalamazoo tallied five corners to Illinois Wesleyan's four. Kedzior finished with two saves in goal.

IWU takes the field again next Wednesday, Sept. 4 against Eureka College. The game is set for 7 p.m. at Traister Field.
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