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Timmy McHugh vs. Albion
Kodiak Creative
18
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 7-2
15
Calvin CALVIN 3-5
Winner
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
7-2
18
Final
15
Calvin CALVIN
3-5
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 4 3 5 6 18
Calvin CALVIN 7 3 2 3 15

Game Recap: Men's Lacrosse |

Men’s Lacrosse Completes Comeback at Calvin

Titans improve to 7-2 on the season

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Not holding a lead until the 14:49 mark in the fourth quarter, the Illinois Wesleyan University men's lacrosse team completed the comeback at Calvin University Saturday, March 22. Trailing by as many as five goals, the Titans used a strong second half of play to prevail, winning 18-15, improving to 7-2 on the season.

Illinois Wesleyan's offense was aided by a career-best nine-point showing from sophomore Timothy McHugh (Orland Park, Ill.-Mount Carmel). The sophomore led the team with a career-high five goals to go along with a team-leading four assists. Fifth-year Ike Eastburn (Colorado Springs, Colo.-Cheyenne Mountain) added five points with four goals and an assist, while junior Noah Dretzka (Delafield, Wis.-Kettle Moraine) also net four goals.

At the X, senior Nick Schroeder (Waunakee, Wis.-Waunakee) went 18-for-29, scooping up a team-high 11 ground balls. Junior Karsten Nordlie (Roscoe, Ill.-Hononegah Community) tied his career-best of seven ground balls to finish second on the squad. Senior Sam Skelton (Portland, Ore.-Franklin) rounded out the top three with five ground balls.

Coming up with a timely caused turnover at the end, junior Billy McHugh (Orland Park, Ill.-Mount Carmel) led the team with five caused turnovers. Skelton added four, followed by three from senior Nick Horrocks (Boulder, Colo.-Fairview).

Logging all 60 minutes in goal for the Green and White, senior Colin Tervo (West Linn, Ore.-West Linn) came away with the win after making 12 saves to go along with four ground balls and two caused turnovers.

As a team, IWU finished with the upperhand in shots (63-43), shots on goal (30-27), ground balls (52-39), faceoff wins (20-16), and went 21-of-26 on clear attempts, while limiting Calvin (3-4) to a 14-for-25 showing. Despite losing the edge in caused turnovers, 24-18, IWU committed two less turnovers than the Knights, who made 32 errors to the Titans' 30. Each goalie made 12 saves between the iron, and IWU capitalized on one of its four extra man opportunities, while Calvin went 0-4.

After Calvin scored first in the contest, fifth-year Bob Boone (Los Angeles, Calif.-Notre Dame) evened the score at 1-1 with 11:07 remaining in the first period. CU responded by notching the next two goals, but junior Kade Miers (Cincinnati, Ohio-St. Xavier) caused a turnover to set up the Green and White offense. The Titans capitalized on the opportunity, as Dretzka buried his shot to make it a one-goal game. 

Schroeder won the ensuing faceoff, as Nordlie scooped up the ground ball to give the Green and White another offensive possession. T. McHugh found Eastburn for a goal, leveling the score at three goals apiece at the 6:11 mark.

Following three straight goals for the Knights, Eastburn scored his second goal of the game to bring it within two with 1:53 to play, but Calvin scored the last goal of the opening period to take a 7-4 advantage.

Calvin net the first two goals of the second period before Illinois Wesleyan could end the run. T. McHugh once again found Eastburn, who registered the early hat trick to make the score 9-5 with 9:45 left on the clock in the opening half. A CU turnover set up the Illinois Wesleyan offense, and after two Titan shots went wide, T. McHugh did not miss on the third shot of the possession, bringing the score to 10-6 at the 2:15 mark.

After a failed clear attempt caused Calvin to call a timeout, the Green and White used the break to its advantage. Out of the timeout, Boone fed T. McHugh for another goal, making it 10-7 with less than a minute left in the second period. IWU had possession the remaining way, but was not able to bury another shot, closing the first half at 10-7 in favor of the home team.

The Knights scored on the first possession of the second half to go ahead, 11-7. Horrocks caused a turnover to set up the IWU offense, which used the miscue to its advantage as T. McHugh scored his third goal of the game to bring it back within three, 11-8, with 10:59 remaining in the third quarter.

Another Calvin error worked in favor of the Titans, as they quickly cruised down field to set up the offense. Boone dished a pass to Dretzka, who ran right past three Knights defenders for an easy goal to make it a two-goal game, 11-9. 

Calvin went up three with a goal to follow, but IWU closed out the third period with three straight to even the game at 12-12. Skelton caused a turnover, leading to a goal from Dretzka off an assist from T. McHugh. With 20 seconds left on the clock, senior John Kittoe (Waunakee, Wis.-Waunakee) forced a turnover, and Dretzka buried another goal to bring it within one with 16 seconds remaining. Schroeder won the faceoff to follow, quickly passing to Eastburn, who found sophomore Jake Kahoun (Worthington, Ohio-Thomas Washington) for a buzzer-beating goal to level the contest heading into the final period.

Illinois Wesleyan kept its foot on the gas, as Schroeder won the faceoff to open the quarter, and B. McHugh buried the shot to give the Titans their first lead of the contest, 13-12, with 14:49 remaining. Calvin quickly responded, but IWU rattled off four straight goals to go ahead 17-13. Goals from Eastburn were sandwiched by scores from Nordlie and T. McHugh, as the Titans found themselves in a late groove.

The Knights fought back to bring it within two, but T. McHigh used a man-up opportunity to put the game out of reach, securing the comeback win, 18-15.

Illinois Wesleyan turns its attention to Adrian College Saturday, March 29. The game is set to begin at 2 p.m. inside Tucci Stadium, and will follow the women's lacrosse contest with Wooster for an action-packed Saturday.

 
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