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Timothy McHugh and Noah Dretzka celebrating a goal
ASHTIN ELDER PHOTO
17
Winner Illinois Wesleyan Univ. IWU 6-4
6
Wabash WABM 2-7
Winner
Illinois Wesleyan Univ. IWU
6-4
17
Final
6
Wabash WABM
2-7
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Illinois Wesleyan Univ. IWU 2 5 5 5 17
Wabash WABM 1 2 1 2 6

Game Recap: Men's Lacrosse |

Men’s Lacrosse Picks Up Wire-to-Wire Win at Wabash

Timothy McHugh records 100th career assist

CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. - The Illinois Wesleyan University men's lacrosse team left no doubt in its win at Wabash College Wednesday, March 25. Never trailing in the match, the Titans downed the Little Giants, 17-6, to improve to 6-4 on the season, while WC dips to 2-7.

Junior Timothy McHugh (Orland Park, Ill.-Mount Carmel) collected his 100th career assist in the game, becoming the seventh Titan to achieve the milestone. The junior joins the elite group of Nick Winter (145 assists), Carson Kiichle (140), Michael Julius (109), James Maibuecher (106), Connor Kiichle (101), and Rick Smith (100). 

Powering the offense, Timothy McHugh finished with a team-high six points on an even split of three goals and three assists. Sophomore Charlie Burghardt (Milwaukee, Wis.-Brookfield Central) posted career-highs of four assists and five points, leading the offense in helpers. Sophomore Owen Miller (Brookfield, Wis.-Brookfield Central) tied Burghardt for second on the squad with five points, as the sophomore's career day was aided by four goals and his first collegiate hat trick. Also registering four scores, freshman Holden Webster (Centennial, Colo.-Arapahoe) tied Miller for the team-lead. 

At the X, senior Michael Rocco (Libertyville, Ill.-Libertyville) and sophomore Matt Arnold (Arlington Heights, Ill.-Prospect) led the Green and White to a 16-of-26 showing, as each finished with eight wins. Rocco scooped up five ground balls to lead the team, followed by four Titans with four apiece. 

Defensively, senior Karsten Nordlie (Roscoe, Ill.-Hononegah Community) and sophomore Jake Sline (Homewood, Ill.-Homewood Flossmoor) finished with two caused turnovers to tie for the team-lead. IWU's defense used 12 caused turnovers on 30 Wabash errors to control the game. 

Sophomore Jaymeson Zackery (Saint Paul, Minn.-Eastview) picked up the win in goal. Spending 48:13 minutes between the iron, the sophomore made seven saves with four goals allowed, good for a .636 save percentage. Senior Sam Scott (Worthington, Ohio-Thomas Worthington) finished the game in goal, recording three saves with two goals allowed.

Illinois Wesleyan finished the game with the advantage in shots (56-39), shots on goal (37-16), ground balls (50-33), faceoff wins (16-10), and was nearly perfect on clear attempts, going 24-of-29, while WC went 25-of-30. The Little Giants had the advantage in saves, 20-10, but committed 10 more turnovers than IWU.

After scooping up a fumbled pass by the Little Giants, Nordlie raced down the length of the field, firing a pass to Timothy McHugh. Catching the defense off guard, Timothy McHugh sent a pass behind his back to Webster, who buried the wide open opportunity to get the Green and White on the board first at the 9:09 mark in the opening period. 

Following a Wabash equalizer, Timothy McHugh wrapped around his defender, capitalizing on the move to find the back of the net on a bouncing ball. The goal put the Titans back out in front, 2-1, with just under five minutes to play in the first. 

Illinois Wesleyan began the second period with back-to-back scores. Burghardt found Miller cutting towards the net, who buried his shot to make it a 3-1 lead. Senior Cole Kennedy (Walnut Creek, Calif.-De La Salle) sent a pass to Miller, who notched his second goal of the game to bring the score 4-1 at the 5:48 mark.

Following a Wabash score, Burghardt fed Webster for a goal, as the Titans capitalized on a Nordlie caused turnover, making it a three-goal game with 3:47 remaining in the first half. 

IWU would score twice more in the second frame, as senior Kaden Gammelgaard (Lake Zurich, Ill.-Lake Zurich) drove through the WC defense for a goal, making it 6-2 with 1:36 to play in the second period, forcing the home team to call timeout. With time ticking down, Burghardt toed the crease line and wrapped around to score, giving the Titans a 7-3 lead entering halftime. 

Opening the second half of play, senior Billy McHugh (Orland Park, Ill.-Mount Carmel) made it two long pole scores for the Titans, as he buried a pass from Miller to make it 8-3 with 12:31 on the clock. With two defenders crashing on him, Burghardt sent over a pass to junior Nate Pound (Theinsville, Wis.-Homestead), who net his first goal of the day, perfectly placing a shot into the top left corner to bring the score to 10-3.

After a Wabash goal, IWU's offense regained and remained in control in the third, as Miller finished his first career hat trick, utilizing an assist from Burghardt. Timothy McHugh followed, wrapping around the crease for a goal, as the visitors bumped the gap to seven, 11-4, with 6:30 remaining in the period. Staying hot, Timothy McHugh found Miller waiting on the crease for the 12th goal of the game for the Green and White. The helper brought Timothy McHugh's career total to 100 assists, etching his name in the record book. 

Beginning the fourth, Webster's shot a bouncer between the legs after Pound found him wide open, as the goal made it 13-4 with 11:37 left to play in the game. Sophomore Jeremy Langosch (Grayslake, Ill.-Warren Township) quickly followed with a fadeaway goal, as he spun around after catching a pass from Timothy McHugh to make it a 10-goal differential at the 11:03 mark. 

Illinois Wesleyan would coast the rest of the way, ultimately taking the game, 17-6.

The win concludes a stretch of road contests for the Titans, as they return home to host Calvin University Saturday, March 28. Action is set for 12 p.m. at Tucci Stadium, with an IWU Youth Clinic to follow. The free clinic will take place from 2:15 p.m.-3:45 p.m., and is open to first through eighth graders. A sign-up can be found by clicking here.
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