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2025 Men's Soccer Senior Day
ASHTIN ELDER PHOTO
0
Elmhurst HURST (4-10-2, 1-5-0)
3
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU (10-2-2, 4-1-0)
Elmhurst HURST
(4-10-2, 1-5-0)
0
Final
3
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
(10-2-2, 4-1-0)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Elmhurst HURST 0 0 0
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 0 3 3

Game Recap: Men's Soccer |

Offensive Barrage in Second Half Leads Titans to Senior Day Win

Gehmaehlich, Kedzior combine for shutout

BLOOMINGTON, Ill.- The Illinois Wesleyan men's soccer team capitalized on three second half goals against Elmhurst University, Saturday, Oct. 18 at Nies Field to walk away with a 3-nil victory on senior day. Illinois Wesleyan improves to 10-2-2 overall and 4-1 inside the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin.

Prior to the start of the match, Illinois Wesleyan celebrated the careers of seniors Peter Basta (Bolingbrook, Ill.-Plainfield East), Brayden Gehmaehlich (Fort Collins, Colo.-Fossil Ridge), Kalabi Kamau (Alpharetta, Ga.-Marist School), Sam Kedzior (Cary, Ill.-Cary Grove), Nick McCully (Peoria, Ill.-Richwoods), Cristian Schmidt (Wichita, Kan.-Northeast Magnet), Jerry Smazil (Downers Grove, Ill.-Downers Grove South), Logan Tierney (Bloomington, Ill.-Normal Community), and Lucas Tran (Carol Stream, Ill.-Glenbard North). The group has led IWU soccer to over 30 wins and a trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2023.

The offense was busy throughout the game shooting it a total of 37 times, the most in school history. The previous number was held by the 2010 squad, which put up 35 shots against MacMurray. 

Sophomore Ben Lyons (Orland Park, Carl Sanburg), who totaled a school record nine shots, nearly got the Titans on the board in the fifth minute, as he ripped a shot off from 15 yards out, but the Bluejays' Niyen Ruffin got just enough of his hand on it while diving to deflect the ball away from the net. 

15 minutes later Elmhurst returned the favor with an opportunity of its own, as it quickly moved the ball down field and fired a shot from a few feet outside the penalty box, but the curving shot was met by the hands of Gehmaehlich in goal for the Titans. 

The Titans had another opportunity to break the draw in the 22nd minute when an on-target throw-in by freshman Hunter Reinberg (Washington, Mo.-St Francis Borgia) was met by the head of Tierney, but his header landed in the chest of the EU keeper. 

Will Smucker (Park Ridge, Ill.-Maine South) gave Illinois Wesleyan one last push to end the half, when the freshman fired a shot with 90 seconds remaining, but the attempt from roughly 25-yards out, went trickling into the hands of Ruffin. 

Fresh out of the halftime break, Lyons attempted a trio of shots that couldn't find the back of the net. Illinois Wesleyan finally broke up the draw, when Perchick corked off a shot just within the penalty box that deflected off an Elmhurst defender sliding to break up the play and into the back of the goal. The score gave the Green and White a 1-nil lead approaching the 61st minute. 

Elmhurst came out looking for revenge after the score, as the Bluejays moved in with an attack less than a minute later, but a diving save by Kedzior came up clutch in preserving the lead. 

Illinois Wesleyan would tack two more goals on to break the contest open with the second coming off the foot of Lyons. Utilizing a throw-in to regain possession, junior Ryder Coleman (Bannockburn, Ill.-Deerfield) bumped a ball off his head, which found the foot of Lyons, who booted it into the back of the net for a goal, making it 2-nil nearing the 78th minute. 

The final goal came from Reinberg, who cashed in his second goal in as many matches. Tran sent a pass to a wide open Reinberg who swished the back of the net with a header with under three minutes remaining, as the Green and White held on for the shutout. 

Gehmaehlich started between the pipes for the Titans, playing the first 45 minutes. He was perfect, saving two shots which were on goal. Kedzior relieved him to open up the second period. The senior shined with a pair of diving stops, and added another to the ledger. Kedzior currently sits one save away from 250 in his career, and with the win tied Alek Ruckstaetter for most wins in Illinois Wesleyan history. The senior duo combined for the fourth shutout of the season.

To go along with 37 shot attempts, the Titans landed 11 of them on net. IWU provided two assists from Coleman and Tran, and held a 10-3 edge in corner kicks

With just three matches remaining, the Titans will travel to North Central College Wednesday, Oct. 22, and Carroll Saturday, Oct 25. The final match at Neis Field of the regular season will be Wednesday, Oct. 29 against Millikin. The North Central contest will be held under the lights with a 7:30 p.m. kick off in Naperville, Ill. 
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