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Men's Soccer CCIW Tournament Champions 2025
ASHTIN ELDER PHOTO
0
North Park NPU (9-7-2, 3-4-1)
1
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU (13-2-4, 5-1-2)
North Park NPU
(9-7-2, 3-4-1)
0
Final
1
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
(13-2-4, 5-1-2)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
North Park NPU 0 0 0
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 1 0 1

Game Recap: Men's Soccer |

Men’s Soccer Captures CCIW Tournament Championship

Titans to make second NCAA postseason appearance in program history

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The second-seeded Illinois Wesleyan University men's soccer team earned its second College Conference of Illinois Tournament Championship in program history Saturday, Nov. 8 at Neis Field. The Titans defeated No. 4 North Park University 1-0, ending the Vikings season at 10-7-2. IWU now awaits Monday's NCAA Tournament selection show after establishing a new program record with its 13th win of the season.

Illinois Wesleyan came out strong, nearly going ahead in the first five minutes, as junior Faheem Mujahid (St. Robert, Mo.-Waynesville) fired a shot towards goal. The initial shot was denied, but Mujahid got his boot on the rebound with eyes on another opportunity. With the ball bouncing near the goal line, Mujahid gave it one more try but was ultimately whistled for a foul to leave the game scoreless.

North Park put together its own opportunity in the 12th minute. Mathias Soerum sent a shot on target but senior goalkeeper Sam Kedzior (Cary, Ill.-Cary Grove) made the stop. NPU came right back with another shot, but once again Kedzior was up for the job making a low save.

It was the Titans who struck first in the championship off of junior Joey Rodino's (Palatine, Ill.-Williams Fremd) fourth goal of the season in the 22nd minute. A bicycle kick from sophomore Ben Lyons (Orland Park, Ill.-Carl Sandburg) near midfield gave fellow sophomore Elsworth McIntosh (Lake in the Hills, Ill.-Harry D. Jacobs) the ball just outside the goal box. Attempting a cross against two NPU defenders, McIntosh forced a Vikings handball and, ultimately, gave the Titans a penalty kick seven yards out, straight on goal. Rodino took the kick, booting it into the left corner of the goal, giving the Green and White a 1-nil lead. 

NPU had several opportunities in the final minutes to tie up the match and send the game into extra time. Kedzior and the stalwart Titan defense thwarted several consecutive Viking efforts, as Kedzior made a save at the six with a minute and a half remaining before the Titan defense blocked two attempts that followed. Kedzior made the game-winning save with 15 seconds remaining to give IWU its second NCAA Tournament appearance in three seasons. 

Kedzior recorded his fifth shutout of the season and 16th of his career. Kedzior also tied a new career-high in saves with 10, matching his mark set in the CCIW regular season finale against Millikin Oct. 29. The Vikings recorded 10 shots on target to IWU's eight, as NPU's goalkeeper 

The Titans earned the CCIW's automatic bid into the NCAA Division III National Championship. They will learn their pairing for the first round in Monday's NCAA Tournament selection show, scheduled for 11:30 a.m. ET, which can be viewed here.
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