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Matthew Perchik Goal Celebration vs. NCC 11-5-2025
ASHTIN ELDER PHOTO
1
North Central (IL) NCC (9-2-8, 4-0-4)
4
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU (12-2-4, 5-1-2)
North Central (IL) NCC
(9-2-8, 4-0-4)
1
Final
4
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
(12-2-4, 5-1-2)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
North Central (IL) NCC 0 1 1
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 1 3 4

Game Recap: Men's Soccer |

Men’s Soccer Flies into CCIW Title Match with Win Over NCC

Titans to host CCIW Tournament Championship Saturday

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan University men's soccer team overpowered North Central College, 4-1, at Neis Field in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Tournament Semifinals Wednesday night, Nov. 5. With the win, the Titans moved to 12-2-4 and tied the program record for wins in a season, previously established by the 1995 squad. NCC saw its year end at 9-2-8.

Illinois Wesleyan created a plethora of shots early with its first coming off the foot of leading point getter junior Ryder Coleman (Bannockburn, Ill.-Deerfield) in the 14th minute. Coleman used a volley into the box to head it onto the net but it was saved by Cardinal goalkeeper Vincent Sanislao. Coleman tested Sanisloa again, this time in the 14th minute with a shot on goal, but the keeper wiped it away again. 

North Central returned the scoring chace with one of its own in the 15th minute. The Cardinals worked the ball over to the near side but the shot from Will Mayer was tipped out from a diving Sam Kedzior (Cary, Ill.-Cary-Grove) to keep the visiting team off the board. The Cardinals rattled off two more shots three minutes later, but were denied again by Kedzior and later by senior Kalabi Kamau (Alpharetta, Ga.-Marist School).

With time ticking down under a minute, the Titans used a late run to take a 1-nil lead into halftime. Sophomore Elsworth McIntosh (Lake in the Hills, Ill.-Harry D. Jacobs) raced down the far sideline and sent a bouncing cross along the end line as Logan Tierney (Bloomington, Ill.-Normal Community) made a charge towards goal with a defender on his hip. In a race to the ball, Tierney edged out the defender and poked a shot inside the post with 16.9 seconds on the clock.

Fresh out of halftime, the Cardinals earned a corner which knotted the match on a goal from Joris Rijnja. Off the set piece, Rijnja flew the header over Kedzior to the back of the net in the 49th minute to level the match, 1-1.

The Titans responded with two unanswered goals of their own, including the game-winner from junior Matthew Perchik (Glenview, Ill.-New Trier). In the 61st minute, he drove down the far side into the offensive zone, beating a defender, Perchik fired a shot over the outstretched arms of Sanislao for a 2-1 advantage.

IWU's offense struck again in the 72nd minute on superb passing as Tierney broke through the middle of the pitch and struck it over to sophomore Gavin Young (Bloomington, Ill.-Central Catholic) flying down the near side who delivered a cross to freshman Daniel Samazil (Downers Grove, Ill.-Downers Grove South) for the goal via a header.

Junior Faheem Mujahid (Saint Robert, Mo.-Waynesville) tacked on another for Illinois Wesleyan in the 80th minute, capitalizing on a floated pass off the boot of sophomore Ben Lyons (Orland Park, Ill.-Carl Sandburg). The goal proved to be the final of the match as the Green and White closed out the 4-1 victory.

Illinois Wesleyan's four goals in the win are the most by the program in a postseason competition and punched IWU's ticket to the CCIW Tournament Championship. The Titans will host the title match for the first time in program history as the Green and White take on fourth-seeded North Park University Saturday, Nov. 8. Match time is set for 12 p.m.
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