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Karsten Nordlie brings up the ball vs. Dubuque 2024
ASHTIN ELDER PHOTO
17
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 2-0
10
Centre CENTRE 1-2
Winner
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
2-0
17
Final
10
Centre CENTRE
1-2
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 2 6 4 5 17
Centre CENTRE 3 0 2 5 10

Game Recap: Men's Lacrosse |

Men’s Lacrosse Closes Out Music City Classic With Win Over Centre

Titans to face Aurora next Saturday, Feb. 22

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Battling near-freezing temperatures and brutal wind gusts, the Illinois Wesleyan University men's lacrosse team came away with its second win in its opening weekend as the Titans defeated Centre College 17-10 at the Music City Classic in Nashville, Tenn. Sunday, Feb. 16. IWU moves to 2-0 on the season while Centre falls to 1-2.

Fifth-year Gage Black (Peoria, Ill.-Dunlap) led the way with eight points off six goals and a pair of assists, while fellow fifth-years Ike Eastburn (Colorado Springs, Colo.-Cheyenne Mountain) and Bob Boone (Los Angeles, Calif.-Notre Dame) each had four goals and Boone had one assist. Sophomore Timothy McHugh (Orland Park, Ill.-Mount Carmel) recorded a career-high five assists and scored two goals in the win. 

On the defensive side, senior Nick Schroeder (Waunakee, Wis.-Waunakee) and junior Karsten Nordlie (Roscoe, Ill.-Hononegah Community) tied for the team-lead seven ground balls, a career-high for Nordlie who also led the team with a career-high two caused turnovers. Schroeder went 14-for-19 at faceoff with junior Michael Rocco (Libertyville, Ill.-Libertyville) producing a 9-for-11 effort. Senior Colin Tervo (West Linn, Ore.-West Linn) served all 60 minutes in goal for the Titans and recorded 14 saves. 

As a team, IWU led 58-31 in shots, 36-14 in ground ball scoops, and 24-6 in faceoff wins. Both teams recorded 14 saves on the day.

Centre opened up the contest with a goal four minutes in but a low shot from Weinberg on the wing tied it up at 1-1. The Colonels scored two more goals to lead 3-1 with five minutes left to play in the first. Junior Kade Miers (Cincinnati, Ohio-St. Xavier) drew a double-penalty on Centre for the momentum shift, allowing Black to net a man-up goal off the assist from McHugh to cut the Colonels lead to one 3-2 heading into the second period. 

A big save by Tervo early in the second 15 minutes set the standard for IWU as they held the Colonels scoreless in the second period. Boone ripped a shot off the helper from McHugh to level the score at 3-3 and start the 6-0 run for the Titans.

Coming out of a Centre timeout with 7:18 left in the half, Black produced a shot off a spin move that ricocheted off a Centre defender and into the net for the 4-3 IWU advantage. 

With just over two minutes left to play before the break, the Green and White managed a four-goal run featuring a pair of goals by Eastburn, one from Boone, and another from Black with just .8 seconds left to play as IWU carried an 8-3 lead into halftime. 

Just 34 seconds into the second half, junior Noah Dretzka (Delafield, Wis.-Kettle Moraine) delivered a quick dish to Eastburn who was posted up outside the crease as Illinois Wesleyan moved ahead 9-3. Centre picked up two more goals but it did little to stop the Titan duo that is Boone and Black who upped the score to 12-5 going into the final 15 minutes. 

Three straight goals by the Colonels to start the fourth quarter cut IWU's lead to four at 12-8. Dretzka connected with McHugh who slipped in behind the Centre goalie with Black sending a deep shot to the back of the net 30 seconds later. 

Switching up their roles, Black set up McHugh for a short goal to extend the Titan lead. Less than a minute later, Boone cut to the middle for an easy goal, doubling up the score at 16-8. McHugh, the mastermind behind IWU's offense, dished another to Eastburn who split two defenders for the Titans 17th goal on the night. 

Centre managed to put away two more goals but it was not enough to disrupt Illinois Wesleyan's 17-10 win. 

Illinois Wesleyan continues its four-game stint on the road as the Titans head to Montgomery, Ill. Saturday, Feb. 22 for a 2 p.m. game against Aurora University.
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