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Timmy McHugh going to goal
© AshtinElder
12
North Central NCC 7-6, 1-3 CCIW
15
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 13-2, 4-0 CCIW
North Central NCC
7-6, 1-3 CCIW
12
Final
15
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
13-2, 4-0 CCIW
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
North Central NCC 1 2 6 3 12
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 8 2 1 4 15

Game Recap: Men's Lacrosse |

Men’s Lacrosse Advances to CCIW Championship

Titans to host Elmhurst Saturday, May 3

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – The Illinois Wesleyan University men's lacrosse team staved off North Central College, 15-12, in the semifinal round of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Tournament under the lights inside Tucci Stadium Wednesday night, April 30. The Titans (13-2) held off the Cardinals' (7-6) comeback to advance to Saturday's CCIW Tournament Championship.

Illinois Wesleyan struck for the first three goals as senior Sam Weinberg (Highwood, Ill.-Oak Park River Forest) sandwiched a score from fifth-year Bob Boone (Los Angeles, Calif.-Notre Dame). NCC broke the run, but only temporarily, as IWU rattled off a five-point run to charge ahead, 8-1, into the second quarter.

Each team tallied two goals over the next 15 minutes as the Titans carried a 10-3 advantage into halftime. 

The break proved timely for the Cardinals, who came out strong in the second half. After two goals by North Central in the first five and a half minutes, sophomore Timothy McHugh (Orland Park, Ill.-Mount Carmel) buried his 25th goal of the season to break a run, but NCC came right back with four straight goals to cut IWU's lead to two, 11-9, into the final quarter.

Junior Noah Dretzka (Delafield, Wis.-Kettle Moraine) gave the Green and White some breathing room, 12-9, but back-to-back goals by the Cardinals made it a one-goal game with 8:23 to play. 

The 12-11 Titan edge stood into the final five minutes before junior Billy McHugh (Orland Park, Ill.-Mount Carmel) sparked Illinois Wesleyan's attack. Freshman Wyatt Hart (Littleton, Colo.-Valor Christian) stepped up defensively to cause a turnover and quickly got the ball in the stick of B. McHugh, who bolted down the field and found an opening to unleash a shot into the back of the net.

A screen setup fifth-year Gage Black (Peoria, Ill.-Dunlap) with space, allowing him to rip a goal past the NCC goalie to extend the lead to three, 14-11, with 3:23 remaining.

Senior Colin Tervo (West Linn, Ore.-West Linn) and the Titans held strong from there, as IWU's starting goalie made two clutch saves in the final 1:15.

With time ticking down on the Cardinals' comeback, North Central pulled its goalie, which proved costly as T. McHugh possessed in IWU's attacking third. Fending off triple teams, T. McHugh slipped through a set of Cardinals and curled around the crease before firing a shot into the empty net. 

T. McHugh topped the offensive production with four goals and three assists in a seven-point effort, while fifth-year Ike Eastburn (Colorado Springs, Colo.-Cheyenne Mountain) tallied a hat trick with an assist. Weinberg added a hat trick of his own, while five others notched one goal apiece.

Defensively, Tervo made an astonishing 17 saves to help IWU hold on for the win. Junior Karsten Nordlie (Roscoe, Ill.-Hononegah Community) caused a team-high three turnovers along with four ground balls. T. McHugh added a pair of caused turnovers. Senior Nick Schroeder (Waunakee, Wis.-Waunakee) went 8-for-17 at the X and scooped a team-best seven ground balls. Weinberg was credited with five ground balls, while junior Michael Rocco (Libertyville, Ill.-Libertyville) went 5-for-9 in faceoffs.

Illinois Wesleyan advances to the CCIW Tournament Championship, as the Titans will host Elmhurst University for a 12 p.m. start Saturday, May 3, inside Tucci Stadium.
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