BLOOMINGTON, Ill.- After nine straight non-conference matches, the Illinois Wesleyan University men's soccer team hits the road for its first College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin and Illinois contest of the year at Carthage College. The Titans enter the match 6-1-2, and are unbeaten on the road with a 4-0-1 record. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. in Kenosha, Wis.

Illinois Wesleyan has shut out its last two opponents behind the play of reigning CCIW Defensive Player of the Week, senior Sam Kedzior (Cary, Ill.-Cary-Grove). In two matches against Eureka College and Wabash College, Kedzior stopped nine shots and lowered his goals against average to .79. The honor was the fifth of his career and first this season.

The defensive backfield of senior captain Nick McCully (Peoria, Ill.-Richwoods) parlayed with fellow senior Kalabi Kamau (Alparretta, Ga.-Marist) and junior Jackson Colman (Pfluegerville, Texas-Cedar Park) has stalled opposing offenses, limiting scoring chances with takeaways. The Titan defense has continued its success, holding teams to one goal or less in their last six matches.

On the offensive side of the ball, the Titans put up a combined seven goals in the two games with senior Logan Tierney (Bloomington, Ill.-Normal Community) leading the way with four points on the week. Tierney's goal came against Eureka, when he hit the top right corner of the goal. His picked up two assists against Wabash in a decisive 4-nil victory 

Juniors Joey Rodino (Palatine Ill.-Fremd) and Faheem Mujahid (St. Robert, Mo.-Waynesville) each put up three points with a goal and added an assist. Rodino's goal came against Wabash when he capitalized on a set play off a throw-in via freshman Hunter Reinberg (Washington, Mo.-St. Francis Borgia) and junior Ryder Coleman (Bannockburn, Ill, Deerfield). Reinberg threw it in, and Coleman headed it to a wide open Rodino on the near side who snuck it just inside the post for his second goal of the year.

Mujahid's goal came via another Coleman header, this time against Eureka. Off a throw-in, Rodino headed it forward to Coleman who sent it to the opposite side of the pitch for Mujahid to score just inside the goal area.

Carthage enters with one CCIW match under its belt which resulted in a 4-4 draw to Millikin  Saturday, Sept. 27. The Firebirds are off to a 1-4-2 (0-0-1 CCIW) start, most recently suffering a 3-nil defeat at the University of Chicago. Junior midfielder Juan Ramirez conducts the offense, as he leads the team in points (4) coming via a pair of goals against Millikin. In net for the Firebirds is senior Aaron The, who has started six games, allowed eight goals, and stopped 32 shots. His eight saves against Chicago was a season high.

In 33 total matches, Carthage owns a commanding 22-9-2 record all-time against IWU. The Firebirds dominated from 2004-2022 losing just two matches to the Titans, but since 2023 Illinois Wesleyan has gone 2-0-1 claiming victories in Kenosha, Wis. and at Neis Field. The last time the two matched up, the Green and White mounted a come-from-behind victory. Finding itself down 3-nil early, IWU put together four unanswered goals, and tacked on another to publish to 5-4 victory in Bloomington, Ill.

The men's contest will serve as the second match of a double header set for 7 p.m. at Art Keller Field. It will follow the women's match slated at 4 p.m. A link to the live stream can be found here, along with live stats here.