Jarett Brunson and Ethan Canavaugh celebrating a goal against Carroll April 26, 2025

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Men’s Lacrosse Opens 2026 Season with Two Home Contests

Titans open with Colorado College Friday, take on Southwestern Sunday

2/12/2026 12:00:00 PM

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan University men's lacrosse team eyes its 2026 season opener ahead of a weekend at home Friday-Sunday, Feb. 13-15. The Titans will kick off the season by hosting Colorado College Friday night, Feb. 13 for a 7 p.m. contest before taking on Southwestern University Sunday, Feb. 15, at 12 p.m. Both games will occur inside historic Tucci Stadium.

Head Coach Zach Iannucci enters his 13th year leading the Titans, who will see a familiar face in a different role this season. Ike Eastburn enters his first year as an assistant coach after closing out a stellar career donning the Green and White. A key component of the IWU offense from 2023-25, Eastburn made an immediate impact for Illinois Wesleyan after transferring prior to the 2023 season. A three-year letterwinner for at attack, Eastburn finished his career ranked third in program history in goals per game, as he averaged 2.24 per contest. The Colorado Springs, Colo. native also ranks top-10 in the record book in goals scored (137), and man-up goals (17), both of which rank eighth. A Second Team All-College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin honoree in the 2025 season, Eastburn helped Illinois Wesleyan to three straight CCIW Regular Season and Tournament Championships, as well as three NCAA Tournament appearances, in his time at IWU. Iannucci also added Jayvon Jameson to his coaching staff, as he will serve as an assistant coach.

Illinois Wesleyan returns three of its nine All-CCIW picks from a season ago, including seniors Billy McHugh (Orland Park, Ill.-Mount Carmel) and Karsten Nordlie (Roscoe, Ill.-Hononegah Community), as well as junior Timothy McHugh (Orland Park, Ill.-Mount Carmel). Additionally, IWU welcomes 17 newcomers to the team.

Timothy McHugh, the Titans' top scorer a year ago, looks to build on a season that saw him score 76 points for the Green and White, including a team-high 49 assists. His 27 goals were tied for fourth on the team.

IWU returns two key defenders from last season in Billy McHugh and Nordlie. Billy McHugh caused 22 turnovers, ranking second on the squad, en route to earning United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association All-American honorable mention honors and was named a Nike Preseason All-American. Nordlie returns as the top ground ball getter for IWU, as his 57 from last year were the second-most by a Titan. The pair were part of six Titans that earned Intercollegiate Men's Lacrosse Coaches Association All-Region honors. Billy McHugh was a second team honoree at defense, while Nordlie was an honorable mention at short stick defensive midfield. Timothy McHugh rounds out the returning all-region honorees, as he was honorable mention at attack.

In goal for the Green and White, the Titans return three goaltenders that saw minutes during the 2025 campaign. Leading the way with 76:05 minutes spent in the cage, sophomore Jaymeson Zackery (Saint Paul, Minn.-Eastview) made 16 saves with a 1-0 record amid three appearances. Senior Sam Scott (Worthington, Ohio-Thomas Worthington) logged 26:17 minutes with nine saves, including key stops during the CCIW Tournament Championship win over Elmhurst. Sophomore A.J. Ellis (Lake Bluff, Ill.-Suffield Academy) made four saves in 15 minutes of action.

Illinois Wesleyan will face Colorado College for the fourth time in program history, with IWU holding a 2-1 edge in the series. The Tigers won the most recent meeting March 12, 2025, taking it 19-11. Timothy McHugh tied for the team-lead in points with three, coming on a team-best three goals. Gage Black also notched three points via two goals and an assist. Nick Horrocks caused two caused turnovers, the most by a Titan in the match, while Nick Schroeder led IWU with six ground balls and 15 faceoff wins. It will be the first battle between the two teams inside Tucci Stadium.

Illinois Wesleyan will take on the Pirates for the third time, with the series sitting evenly at 1-1. The Green and White took home the win in the most recent matchup, coming away with a 20-8 victory March 28, 2024. Sam Weinberg and Trystan Seeley led the offense with six points apiece, as Seeley tied for a team-high of four goals alongside Eastburn, while Weinberg notched a team-best three assists. Weinberg and Colin Tervo each led the defense with five ground balls, and Michael Campagna forced a game-high five caused turnovers. Zo Lombardo and then-sophomore Michael Rocco (Libertyville, Ill.-Libertyville) each came away with six faceoffs to lead the Titans. Southwestern will travel to University of Dubuque for a Friday night contest, Feb. 13, to kick off its season before making its way to Bloomington.

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