WAUKESHA, Wis. - The Illinois Wesleyan University men's lacrosse team led from wire-to-wire as 16 different Titans registered points in a 25-5 dismantling of Carroll University at Schneider Stadium Saturday, April 11. With the win, the Green and White run its win streak to four games and improve to 9-4 overall and stay unbeaten at 2-0 in College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin play. CU drops to 3-10 and sits at 0-2 in league contests.
Junior Timothy McHugh (Orland Park, Ill.-Mount Carmel) and junior Nate Pound (Theinsville, Wis.-Homestead) led the offensive outburst with eight points apiece. McHugh scored twice himself alongside a game-high six assets, while Pounds total came an even split. Pound tied freshman Ben Marban (Barlett, Ill.-South Elgin) for the game high with four goals.
Senior Michael Rocco (Libertyville, Ill.-Libertyville) pieced together a 7-of-11 showing at the X with a team-high four ground balls. Classmate Billy McHugh (Orland Park, Ill.-Mount Carmel) captained the defense with three caused turnovers in front of the goalie tandem of sophomore Jaymeson Zackery (Saint Paul, Minn.-Eastview) and sophomore A.J. Ellis (Lake Bluff, Ill.-Suffield Academy). Zackery made six saves with three goals allowed, while scoring the first goal of his collegiate career to boot. Ellis made five stops in between the pipes.
As a team, the Titans were dominant, outshooting the Pios, 62-32, including a 38-16 shots on goal advantage. IWU went 14-for-18 in clear attempts to Carroll's 16-of-24 showing, along with leads in ground balls (29-25) and faceoffs (18-11).
Illinois Wesleyan opened the game with three unanswered goals. Utilizing a man-up opportunity, senior Noah Dretzka (Delafield, Wis.-Kettle Moraine) cracked the scoreboard first, as he buried a shot with 12:13 on the clock in the first period. After Carroll turned the ball over,
Timothy McHugh found Pound for a goal, quickly making it 2-0 with 10:09 to play. Zackery came up with a save to get the Green and White the ball, and Pound net his second goal of the game to make it a three-score lead a few seconds later.
After the Pios put up a goal, Rocco won the ensuing faceoff, and senior Jack Vander Kooi (Buffalo, Minn.-Buffalo) put the lead back at three, 4-1. IWU rattled off seven more to follow, beginning with Marban scoring his first collegiate goal. Pound completed a quick hat trick in the first period, and freshman
Tyce Baldwin (Aurora, Colo.-Grandview) followed with his first career goal. Wanting to get in on the fun, Zackery raced down the field and fired off a shot, as the goalkeeper scored his first career goal. Baldwin, sophomore
Jeremy Langosch (Grayslake, Ill.-Warren Township), Dretzka, and freshman
Garrett Wills (Sugar Grove, Ill.-Kaneland) all found the back of the net to close out the first period in favor of the visitors, 11-1.
The second period was all Illinois Wesleyan, as the visitors came away with all seven goals in the frame. Sophomore Charlie Burghardt (Milwaukee, Wis.-Brookfield Central) dished a pass to
Timothy McHugh for a goal, who followed to find his brother,
Billy McHugh for a score to follow. Freshman
Max Strong (Riverside, Ill.-Riverside Brookfield) found the back of the twine for his first collegiate goal, using an assist from Pound to put IWU's lead at a baker's dozen. Pound stayed hot, as he found Baldwin for the defender's second goal of the game as Illinois Wesleyan coasted into half leading 19-1.
The Titans never looked back, riding the lead to a 25-5 victory, for their second straight CCIW victory.
The Green and White will enjoy its CCIW midweek bye and pick up league play Saturday, April 18, against Carthage College. The Titans will host the Firebirds at 1 p.m. for its final regular season game inside of Tucci Stadium
