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Holden Webster shooting
Donny Cortez
10
Colorado Col. CC 0-1, 0-0
11
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 1-0, 0-0
Colorado Col. CC
0-1, 0-0
10
Final
11
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
1-0, 0-0
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Colorado Col. CC 3 4 1 2 10
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 2 2 3 4 11

Game Recap: Men's Lacrosse |

Men’s Lacrosse Mounts Comeback in Thrilling Win Over Colorado College

Titans erase four-goal deficit to take down Tigers

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan University men's lacrosse team opened its season with a thrilling win over Colorado College Friday night, Feb. 13, taking down the Tigers (0-1), 11-10. Trailing by as much as four, IWU (1-0) used a strong second half to complete the comeback and hold on to the win. 

All tied at 10, senior Noah Dretzka (Delafield, Wis.-Kettle Moraine) piped one to the back of the net to put IWU back out in front, 11-10, with 1:42 remaining. Sophomore Jaymeson Zackery (Saint Paul, Minn.-Eastview) came up clutch in his first collegiate start, as he stopped a Tigers shot and cleared the ball with a pass crossing the entire length of the playing field. After IWU turned the ball over, the Tigers looked poised to tie the game with time expiring, but a crease violation waved off the last-second shot to complete the comeback win for the Titans.

Dretzka finished with the team-lead in points, as he notched three goals and an assist for a total of four. Junior Jake Kahoun (Worthington, Ohio-Thomas Worthington) totaled three points, all coming on goals, while freshman Holden Webster (Centennial, Colo.-Arapahoe) finished with a goal and an assist in his collegiate debut.

Zackery led the defense with nine ground balls, and made 16 saves between the pipes, both of which shattered his career-bests. Zackery logged the win after spending all 60 minutes in goal, the first of his career. IWU's defense featured six Titans recording a pair of caused turnovers, while five scooped up four ground balls apiece. Senior Michael Rocco (Libertyville, Ill.-Libertyville) went 9-of-15 at the X. 

The Green and Whited finished with the lead in ground balls (50-45) and shots on goal (31-27), and converted 24-of-34 clear attempts. CC notched the edge in shots (47-44), saves (20-16), and faceoffs (13-12), and went 17-of-22 in clear attempts. Each team committed 27 turnovers in the contest. 

Trailing 7-3 with just over five minutes remaining in the first half, sophomore Jake Sline (Homewood, Ill.-Homewood Flossmoor) found Kahoun for a goal to cut the deficit to three with 4:52 on the clock. The rest of the second quarter went scoreless, as Colorado College's attempt to get the last shot off was unsuccessful, as the refs blew the period dead. 

The Titans scored first in the second half, as Dretzka spun through a pair of defenders and buried his shot in the back of the net to make it a two-goal game, 7-5, with 11:51 remaining in the third. 

Playing shorthanded due to a penalty, Zackery saved a shot by the Tigers, quickly setting up IWU's offense. Senior Billy McHugh (Orland Park, Ill.-Mount Carmel) wasted no time, as he sniped a goal to cut the CC lead to one, as IWU killed off the last of its penalty. 

Making the most of his first collegiate contest, freshman Brody Jones (Boring, Ore.-West Linn) unleashed a shot for his first career goal to erase the deficit with 1:52 left to play in the third period. Colorado College quickly responded, as the Tigers took an 8-7 lead going into the final quarter. 

Opening the fourth quarter with the ball off a faceoff violation, the Titans needed less than a minute to score the equalizer. Dretzka dished a pass to Kahoun. Toeing the crease, Kahoun caught the pass while diving and scored, evening the contest at eight. 

Down one, IWU fired off two quick goals to regain control, as Dretzka made the Tigers pay for a turnover, and Webster launched a shot into the back of the net to give the Green and White a 10-9 lead with 7:13 to play.

Colorado College once again responded, tying it at 10, but Zackery stopped a bouncing ball for a save and scooped up the ground ball to get the Titans in transition. Marching efficiently down the field, IWU successfully cleared the ball, and head coach Zach Iannucci called timeout to set up his offense. 

After the reset, sophomore Jeremy Langosch (Grayslake, Ill.-Warren Township) ripped off a shot that went wide, but Dretzka was there to scoop up the ground ball. The senior made quick work of the Tigers on the second chance, as he buried his third goal of the night to put the Titans on top one final time, 11-10.

Illinois Wesleyan remains home, hosting Southwestern University for a Sunday afternoon battle, Feb. 15. Action is slated to begin at 12 p.m. inside Tucci Stadium.
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